


The Battle of Sea Salt Bay (Season 2)

by Rhythmloid, TwelveOf8



Series: The Battle of Sea Salt Bay (DISCONTINUED) [2]
Category: Original - Fandom, Original Work, The Battle of Sea Salt Bay
Genre: 50's, 50's era, Action, Drama, Harsh Language, Original Story - Freeform, Original work - Freeform, Other, Past, highschool
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-22
Updated: 2017-11-16
Packaged: 2018-12-18 20:06:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 38,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11881857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rhythmloid/pseuds/Rhythmloid, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwelveOf8/pseuds/TwelveOf8
Summary: It's the 50's. A young girl moves into a new town called Sea Salt Bay, known for its salt water taffy. Upon moving, she didn't realize she would be getting tangled up in the affairs of the baddest gang in town: the Salt Bay Turbos. Now her life is a mess and everything is turning upside down. Tension is rising, fights are breaking out, and something is happening between gangs. (Season 2)





	1. Introduction

Hello! And thank you for sticking around for Season 2! Things will begin to escalate from here, so I hope you enjoy this next season and many more to come!

Again, this was originally a roleplay, and my partner and I had to edit many parts. Do not be afraid to ask us to edit to make it more understandable. I would recommend you read Season 1 before continuing to Season 2.

Season two will be out in a small while. So please be patient. If you have any questions, please message me at @the-Battle-of-Sea-Salt-Bay on tumblr. Thank you!


	2. Chapter 1

Corrine awoke to the sound of birds chirping. Her eyes fluttered open as the sunlight shone on her face. She yawned and stood up, carefully moving Rolo's arm from her shoulder. The atmosphere was still as romantic as it was the night before. Corrine was still half asleep when she took a look at her pocket watch. It was 8:00. She gently shook Rolo's shoulder. 

"Wakey wakey eggs and bakey! It's morning!" She whispered. She waited a few moments, yet he did not awaken. He must've been tired. She tried once more, shaking him a bit harder this time around.

"Come on, Rolo! Wake up! It's morning! You have to take me back home!" She laughed. Her hair was a mess and she smelled like pine but that was ok. She was with Rolo! Hopefully, he wouldn't tease her about her hair.

~~

Rolo groaned as Corinne tried to shake him awake. 

"Just a couple of more minutes" he said.

He limply swatted Corinnes arms away then rolled himself over, making himself face the opposite direction. A lazy tactic Rolo employed to avoid Corinnes attack.

~~

Corrine crossed her arms and pouted. Lazy Rolo! She kicked his back playfully and made an audible 'hmph!'. She grinned evilly and sat down upon his side.

"Wake up! Wake up!" She yelled.

She bounced up and down lightly against him. If it worked with her brothers it might work with Rolo, Corinne surmised.  
~~

"Alright alright already!" replied Rolo.

He sat up with a groan. It seemed that sleeping on a thin sheet of wool over solid rock caused his back stiffen up a bit. A bad back was the bane of Rolos existence as well as hangovers. As luck would have it, he didn't drink quite enough for a hangover himself. Rolo did however had a powerful urge to pee. 

"Hey there little darlin." greeted Rolo. His mood brightened upon seeing Corinnes smiling face. 

Rolo then gave yet another agonised groan as he pushed himself into a squatting position. He then stood up, making a couple of light popping sounds along the way.

"Early morning stiffness, gotta love it." commented Rolo.

 

(Your part is missing, what gives!?)  
~~

"Well Corrine baby, when you're carrying as much power as me, there's bound to be a few pops and crackles here and there." said Rolo whilst patting his big protruding gut.

"And I'm sure your singing ain’t that bad! Come on! Sing for me! I promise I'll love it!" Rolo enthused playfully.

~~

Corrine frowned. He wanted her to sing? What for? She wasn't any good.

"Y-you want me to sing? Um... o-ok. I'm not that good though." she said before standing up.

"What to sing, what to sing..." Her face lightened up somewhat when she figured out the perfect song. She played with her hands out of nervousness.

"Let me call you sweetheart~ I'm in love with you~ Let me hear you whisper~ That you love me too~ Keep the love light glowing~ in your eyes so true~ let me call you sweetheart~ I'm in love with you~" Her voice wasn't the best in the world, but it certainly wasn't terrible. It was a nice simple voice that could calm down anyone.

"There! I sang! Happy?" She crossed her arms once more.

~~

"Oh wow, that was uhh nice. Yeah, that's the word I was looking for." commented Rolo. He had not the heart to tell Corinne what he truly thought of her singing talent.

"And yes I am very happy. And you're also very lovely for doing that for me." Rolo said awkwardly.

Rolo promptly set about packing the picnic basket and the quarter full bottle of bourbon back into the basket in a vain attempt to curtail the awkwardness. Surprisingly enough, he didn't crunch those items in like a caveman. Instead he folded the blanket deftly then carefully arranged the contents so as allow for both neatness and ease of access. It seemed that Rolo had quite a gentlemanly bearing despite his outward persona.

"Alright little lady, lets go." said Rolo.

Whilst holding the basket he hopped off of the rock formation at its lowest point, which was about meter and a half off of the ground. Being such a big guy Rolo hit the ground hard, even at that height. The almost empty bottle of bourbon rattled around violently, though thankfully, didn't shatter. That alone offered enough consolation for the discomfort of the fall.

"Jeez I'm gonna be feelin that tomorrow. Remind me to never do that again." said Rolo.

~~

Corrine stood there with her face as red as a cherry. She actually sang in front of someone other than her singing instructor. She felt so embarrassed. She was horrible! Why did she let him convince her to sing?! She snapped out of her reverie when she heard a loud thump.

"H-hey! Wait for me!" She slowly but surely climbed down the rock, making sure not to get herself too dirty. She didn't need to clean herself up more than she already needed to. 

"S-so... uh... what are you gonna do once you take me home? If I might ask..." She asked nervously, still embarrassed by her little singing performance.

~~

"I dunno baby girl. The fellas are probably still hungover from last night. They might not even be awake yet. Maybe I'll just go to the local pancake place for breakfast. They know what I like and how I like it. Then possibly go down to the underside of the boardwalk to see if any of the gang is there. One things for sure Corinne, for me, a lazy Sunday is strictly a lazy Sunday." casually explained Rolo.

"Alright little lady, let's split." Rolo announced with gusto.

It was at the edge of Lovers Haven, at the start of the short woodland trail, that Rolo made an unexpected stop. For the more observant of people though, the stop was completely expected. Rolo hopped from left foot to right foot whilst holding his crotch when they neared the trail. 

"Excuse me baby girl but I gotta hang a leak. I'm just gonna go behind these trees here. We're not at the part of the relationship where you can watch. Well, not yet anyway." Rolo announced quickly.

Before Corinne could say another word, Rolo bounded off into a thicket of trees. He stood behind a tree, making sure that it hid his modesty. He then dropped his trousers and let loose.

"Ahh that's the stuff." Rolo said whilst he relieved himself.

 

~~

Corrine giggled and shrugged it off. She didn't really care, just as long as she got home on time. She was used to one of her brothers taking a quick pit stop every now and then. Especially when they were little. 

Corrine sat down in the dirt, waiting for Rolo to come back. Her thoughts went straight to food. She hadn't eaten since yesterday afternoon. Rolo had mentioned pancakes which set her stomach on fire. Oh what she wouldn't give to have breakfast right now. Charlie must be making something for everyone back at home and she's missing it. 

A low, nasty growl came from her stomach. She looked in her bag to see if she had any food she could nibble on. There were only a few pieces of candy and mint gum. She couldn't eat lip gloss. She had learned that the hard way. She couldn't eat her keys to the house either. She took out the gummy candy and peeled the wrapper off. She popped it in her mouth and felt the rice paper melt on her tongue. It tasted so sweet and good! Too bad it only emphasized the emptiness of her stomach. She could feel it drop down into her belly and sit there. She felt sick.

~~

The walk through the short woodland trail during the day proved to be a rather pleasant little nature hike. What looked like large, dark, and foreboding trees during the night were revealed to be some quite fetching pine and redwoods. A few small bushes dotted the area here and there, some of which contained flowers that were in bloom. Squirrels scurried along the branches up above, looking around with their large eyes, scoping out the area for danger. The chirping of various birds sounded all around them. Each call was as unique as the next, which added to the overall cacophony of all the avian creatures that were present. Rolo always found it soothing to be out amongst some of this unspoilt nature.

After a relatively short walk they finally arrived at Rolos bike. A couple of leaves fell onto the seat. Apart from that, everything was fine. 

"Hey, uhh I don't know where you live. I'm good with addresses though. It'll help if you told me what your place looks like. Sometimes the street numbers aren't even marked at all. That's Sea Salt Bay for ya. I swear this town is overrun by pretentious yuppies." commented Rolo.

~~

"Do you know about the big house that was built across town on the hill near the abandoned lighthouse? That's where I live! It's far I know, but I gotta get home before my brother's scold me." 

She had just realized how far away her home was. It really was all the way across town. But it was hard to miss.

~~

"Oh so you live in Old Sea Salt Bay. Man those houses are nice. Not too far from the beach either. What I wouldn't give." remarked Rolo wistfully.

And with that, they were off. The ride down the mountain road, much like the short wooded trail, was much more pleasant during the day. Rolo made sure not to do any drifts around the hairpin turns this time around. A habit that he had to suppress. Corinne wasn't a fan of being involved in crazy stunts after all. 

The roar of the engine did nothing to break the peacefulness of the scenery. The animals in the area seemed to be used to passing vehicles. The clouds parted, revealing some brilliant sunshine. It looked to be an amazing day for a Sunday ride. Rolo was seriously tempted to ask Corinne to ride with him for just a little longer, but he knew that she had a thing she had thing to get to. Which was a shame really, the beach would've been marvellous on a day like that.

Their morning ride through the town of Sea Salt Bay was even more beautiful than their midnight ride. In fact, the little tourist town was at its most beautiful in the mornings and in the evenings. Various shopkeepers and restaurateurs gussied up their places of business. Lugging various goods from delivery trucks and such. The road itself was as busy as small town roads got in the downtown area. There were quite a few cars on the road, though not exactly bumper to bumper traffic. 

At last they reached their destination. At the end of a short ride up of a small hill, on the side of the road, was Corinnes place. The view of the beach and the lighthouse from up there was amazing. Prime real-estate property by anyones standards. Rolo couldn't help but be impressed. Rolos bike came to a slow and controlled stop next to the curb opposite Corinnes place.

"You live here baby girl!? Talk about swanky. I guess lord fancy pants ain't the only rich kid in town." remarked Rolo.

~10~

"I well, uh, my father owns the new diner that opened up on the boardwalk. It's a big chain that's only in this state! People come from all over to try it. Maybe we could go out there sometime? If you want to of course..." Corrine blushes. 

"Thank you for taking me home. I owe you one. What time is it?" She looks down at her pocket watch. It was 10:30. She still had time to get ready!

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow at school, huh? Could you do me another favor? Could you keep us a secret? If anyone found out I would be in big trouble. I might not see you ever again. Please? And thank you!" She gave him a big kiss on the cheek then ran over to the side of the house. Her small frame was seen climbing up the side of the house and onto the balcony. She blew a kiss out to him then opened the window from the outside.

Corrine sighed wistfully. She laid out her clothes and got ready for her guest to come. She couldn't stop thinking about last night. The party, the trip to the woods, their kiss; everything seemed like a fairytale. But she still had a wonderful time. For the next couple of hours she was getting ready for her guests. All the while her thoughts kept drifting back to Rolo.

~~

Rolo took off down the street after bidding farewell to Corinne. Down the hill, back towards Sea Salt Bay proper. To say that he was smitten with Corinne would've been the understatement of the century. She was everything he could've hoped for, and more. And to think that her father owned a chain of diners all across the state. Road trips and free diner meals. Such a proposition sounded like heaven to Rolo. Of course, he would have to play nice with her old man though. All he had to do was keep on his good side and it'll be easy street from there on out. The more Rolo thought about it the more excited he got. But did he dare get his hopes up for this girl? Rolo still wasn't quite sure. Their relationship had just begun, so it was still too early to predict how things would turn out. The breakup with his last girlfriend came as a shock after all. One things for sure though, he hoped above all else that their relationship would become a serious one, perhaps even an eternal one.

And so he rode through the streets of Sea Salt Bay, fantasising about Corinne and her free diner meals. For now though they had to keep their courtship a secret; as per her wishes. Rolo understood Corinnes urge to remain clandestine, more than she knew. Such things needed to strengthen before bearing the weight of extreme scrutiny. That was especially true in a town like Sea Salt Bay. The New Royals were on the rise, which precipitated the return of the bad old days. All Rolo worried about though, was which type of pancake he was gonna have. Choc-chip, strawberry, or blueberry. Decisions decisions.

~~

Corrine decided to wear one of her best dresses. She scrambled to fix her hair and gussy herself up as time dwindled away. She only had thirty minutes until he arrived! Oh she wishes he wouldn't come! She wishes that he would cancel and never return!

"Miss? Are you there?" A voice called out from behind her door.

His unexpectedly early arrival was an unpleasant shock for Corinne. . 

"Oh! Y-yes! Give me one second!" she straightened herself out, put her hair in a simple ponytail and walked out of her room. Her visitor was standing there. He had bright cerulean eyes, yet a cold stare. His blonde hair made him look like an angel. He was almost every high school girl's dream come true.

"Hello, Klaus. I haven't seen you since we moved. H-how have you been?" asked Corrine.

"Well, hello, my fiancée. Look how beautiful you look! Let's go have lunch in the back. Is your garden finished? I heard it's exactly like the one your mother had." His thick German accent was especially prominent that day. He seemed all too enthusiastic to see her. He gripped her hand tightly and practically dragged her down the stairs. She was about ready to jump out of a window and run away. Lord, help her.

~~

"Hey dude, what's up!" greeted Switch.

Rolo was a hard person to miss. Big, round, and bound in leather. To Switch he almost looked like a bull wearing the skin of another bull. If Rolo had horns then the look would be complete. Such a figure proved to be quite imposing, especially to rival gang members. No doubt, Rolo was a great asset to the crew. A fact that Switch nor any of the other guys dared not forget. But seeing Rolo at that table on his own, with bits of blueberry on his face, happily shovelling down fat stacks of pancakes, betrayed his almost childlike nature. Such a thing, to Switch at least, was sorta comforting. It reinforced the notion that some things never changed. When it came to the business of running a gang, it was always preferable to deal with people who had easily fulfilled desires. Rolo himself was such a person. That was one of the many reasons why Switch considered Rolo to be not only a dependable crew member, but also a dependable friend. It was no surprise that whenever Switch felt lonely, he could always find Rolo at the local pancake place every Sunday morning. 

Rolo looked up from his third helping of pancakes to see Switch approach his table. Despite his clothes looking a little disheveled and the presence of a hicky on his neck, he looked alright. In fact, Rolo noticed that Switch had a spring in his step. 

"Hey bro. Looks like you had a fun night." Rolo remarked.

Switch took a seat opposite Rolo. He then put his feet up on an adjacent chair. 

"Damn right I did! You left early with that little chick. Corrine was it? I mean, with the height difference and your..." Switch hesitated before continuing.

"Is she still alive!?" Switch whispered loudly.

"Hey! It wasn't like that! We just ya know, talked." replied Rolo defensively.

"Come on man! Ya think I was born yesterday!? Yous guys wouldn't have taken off early just to talk. Somethin must've gone down. And before you get all mad and dismissive and shit, remember that there ain't no secrets when gang stuff's involved. Brothers for life." proclaimed Switch.

"Yeah yeah I know." replied Rolo dismissively.

"If you must know, I took Corinne to Ghost Rock. I told her a ghost story, we made out a little, and then we fell asleep. And even if I wanted to, there ain't no back support for a guy like me out in the wild." explained Rolo.

"Classic seduction move right there. Wouldn't work with a local girl though. Not in a million years. Man I gotta try it myself, just gotta find me a new chick or a tourist or somethin." stated Switch.

"What happened to that girl last night. Cynthia wasn't it?" Rolo asked.

"You know darn well that her reputation is almost as bad as mine. Like as soon as my back was turned, off with another dude." explained Switch.

"And before you start feelin sorry for me, mission accomplished." stated Switch proudly.

"You sure know how to pick em." commented Rolo.

"And I couldn't be happier with my choices! proclaimed Switch.

"Don't doubt that for a second bro." replied Rolo.

Rolo shoved one of his plates of pancakes towards Switch. Topped with maple syrup and vanilla ice cream. It was a dish to die for.

"Here, eat up. Don't have to pay dude. I know you're a poor bitch. But don't think you don't owe me nothin. I'll be callin in a favour real soon." offered Rolo.

"If pussy was money then I'd be one rich muthafucka." replied Switch playfully.

"Oh, and thanks bro. You're probably gonna ask me to do something annoying and lame but these pancakes, these pancakes! Worth it!" exclaimed Switch excitedly.

"Eat up!" Rolo ordered lightheartedly.

 

~~

Corrine and Klaus made their way toward the back garden for lunch. Corrine felt extremely uncomfortable being anywhere near him. Everything he did was creepy. Even when he breathed! He seemed so suspicious to her. 

As they made their way toward the garden, there was a garden table already set up with tea and sandwiches. 

"Oh? Why, you’ve already set up everything! I knew you liked me!" he observed proudly.

He grinned and quickly walked to the table, admiring the food. Corrine was puzzled. She wasn't the one who set that up. She was getting ready before he came. Most of her brothers weren't home, it couldn't have been them. Corrine pondered deeply until she noticed something peculiar about the table.

It was Charlie. He was the only one who used the green tea set. Having the crusts cut off of his sandwiches was his signature touch. She smiled knowing that she would at least have a nice lunch, even if her guest was a total creep. She sat down and straightened her back. Her father had drilled proper dining etiquette into her head; it was second nature by now. 

The awkward silence was killing her. He stared at her possessively as he took a sip of his green tea. She decided to break the silence.

"S-so.... did you have a safe trip here from Germany? How long are you staying?" she asked.

"Why yes! It took a very long time to get here, but it was all worth it just to see you! I'm staying for about two more weeks! I hope we get to spend some more time together, my dear." Corrine cringed. How could anyone not see how creepy he was? She nodded and continued to sip her tea. She couldn't believe she was thinking this, but she actually wanted school to start! She couldn't wait to get away from him.

"My dear, is something wrong?" he asked.

Corrine shook her head.

"You look upset."

She shook her head.

"Corrine, answer me."

She shook her head harder.

"Answer me!" he yelled.

She jumped up and hid in her chair.

"I-I'm just home sick! I wanna go home!" she trembled.

"Aw~ poor baby! I'm sure you'll like it here in Sea Salt Bay! It looks like a nice town!" His tone completely changed. He was like another person. If only she had proof of his drastic and frankly terrifying change of demeanor her father might call off the marriage. If only Rolo were here. She would’ve had a much better time chatting with him. 

She finished off her tea and sighed. Just another hour Corrine, and the rest of the day is yours! She could try and find someone to hang with. Or maybe go back down to the beach. Anywhere but here.

She felt like she was forgetting something. Something important. But she couldn't put her finger on it. It must have been important.

"Corrine! Let's go back inside! I want to tell you about Germany. You are my fiancée after all, and I'm making you move in with me, so I think you should at least have a bit of knowledge about it, right?" He took her arm and practically dragged her to the parlour. His grip was uncomfortably tight. She didn't want to complain out of fear of hearing him yell again. And so she was whisked off into the parlour for a boastful monologue about the fatherland. 

~~

It was a short time later when a rather unexpected visitor came to the pancake place. The bell that was attached to the door rang out as it opened, announcing his arrival. Wearing black pants, leather shoes, a camel shade button up shirt, and a wide brimmed camel shaded hat, sheriff Waxley of Sea Salt Bay Police Department was indeed the typical stereotype of a small town sheriff. A middle aged veteran with a gruff demeanour and a zero tolerance policy for sass. According to the local punks he was very much the friendly neighbourhood buzzkill. The old and the boring loved him and the young and the interesting hated him. It was obvious to all that the sheriff took great pride in his work. 

Rumours abounded that the glock he was armed with has been fired for extralegal reasons on more than one occasion. Though such rumours had been proven to be unfounded. Still, there's been many strange rumours that have plagued the town of Sea Salt Bay and its more prominent members of society. Though many people have simply chalked them up to small town idle gossip. But some people still believed. Such people were always a treat to talk to. 

Both Rolo and Switch looked up from their plates nervously as the sheriff approached. What was strange was that out of all the Sundays that Rolo ate at the pancake place, he never once saw the sheriff in there. It was obvious to the two friends that this encounter wasn’t gonna be because of random happenstance.

"Mornin fellas, enjoyin your breakfast?" greeted sheriff Waxley.

"Good morning sir. Yeah, breakfast is good." replied Rolo awkwardly.

"These pancakes are out of this world." Switch intoned.

"Hehe I bet they are. Gertrude does a hell of a good job doesn't she? That old gal has been makin pancakes ever since the gosh darn dinosaurs walked the earth." joked the sheriff.

Both Rolo and Switch laughed nervously. The tension was too thick for a simple little joke to break it. The sheriff himself though, grinned smugly to himself. He secretly got off on the tension he created when it came to dealing with so called "tough" guys.

"And I don't think she'd take to kindly to you dirtying up her furniture son. And sit like a normal person, for heavens sake." ordered the sheriff.

"Y-yes sir." stammered Switch.

Switch then took his feet off of the other adjacent chair and placed them firmly in the ground. He glanced at the other chair briefly, to check for signs of dirt. Luckily, there was not a spec to be found. 

"Uhh is there anything you need sheriff?" asked Rolo.

"Truth be told, not really, though I could do with a couple of pancakes myself. Sadly though, I ain't got the time. Somebody has to keep the local hooligans in line and such. But there was somethin I've been meanin to ask you two gentlemen about. Maybe you two could shed a little light on the subject." explained the sheriff.

"And what might that be?" asked Switch.

"Well I'm glad you asked! announced the sheriff.

"There was a little incident with a bunch of burnin tires down on Main Street. I don't suppose any of you two fine gentlemen know anythin bout that?" asked sheriff Waxley.

"Well uhh I dunno." replied Rolo.

"Yeah, we don't know nothin. It could've been anyone. We aren't the only guys who own bikes and stuff." asserted Switch.

"You know it's an offence to lie to an officer of the law right?." asked the sheriff.

"May I ask sheriff, what makes you think that we know anything about it?" countered Switch.

"Those are some mighty fine bikes you boys got out there. They look awfully like the ones those hoodlums rode at the scene." the sheriff observed.

"The Harley Davidson FL is a common and popular motorcycle. I'm sure we ain't the only ones who have em." stated Switch.

"I suppose not. Just makin light conversation. Ya know that there's gonna be an assembly about it at your school tomorrow mornin? It's an important one so make sure you boys ain't sick or nothin." explained the sheriff.

"Wouldn't dream of it. We'll be there, front row center. said Switch.

"Yeah, we will." said Rolo.

"Glad to hear it boys. Y'all have a good rest of the day ya hear!?" said sheriff Waxley.

"Don't worry, we will." relied Switch.

"Yeah, and a good morning to you to sir." said Rolo.

The sheriff then walked away from the table and out the door. The bell on the door rang once again, signalling his departure. Both Switch and Rolo looked at each other incredulously. It was the first time that any of them had ever been questioned directly by the sheriff himself. It was as clear as day that things weren't going to be so easy for the Salt Bay Turbos anymore. 

 

~~

Corrine sat in the parlour, listening to Klaus ramble about Germany and its many wonders. She could hardly keep her eyes open. 

"Mein Schatz?" A voice called out to her. She quickly opened her eyes. She didn't fall asleep did she?

"You don't look so good. Are you sick? Oh no, let me take you to your room. I'll come back next week to check in on you." Corrine didn't have a chance to say anything before Klaus carefully picked her up off of the sofa. She groaned as she was removed from her comfortable spot. But at least he was leaving. He carried her with ease up the stairs and into her bedroom. He laid her down on her bed and smiled.

"Now you stay here and rest. I'll go tell your brothers that you aren't feeling well. My poor baby..." He took her hand and squeezed it quite hard. She flinched as her hand started to hurt. Corrine looked up at his face and noticed a mischievous smile spread across his lips. He was up to something again. He kisses her hand and left the room, closing the door behind him.

She felt her forehead. She wasn't burning up. Maybe she shouldn't have slept in the forest last night. She decided to stay in her room and catch up on some much needed rest.

~~

"Hey there fellas, ya miss me!?" Chet greeted.

It was around eleven o'clock when Chet showed up to the usual hangout spot beneath the boardwalk. After their encounter with the sheriff, both Switch and Rolo wasted no time in leaving the pancake place. Switch himself seriously considered never returning to said establishment if there was a chance that they would ever be hassled by the law again. Rolo on the other hand, felt differently. Truly nothing on earth could ever get between him and his pancakes. Such a prospect was inconceivable. But still, it was abundantly clear to Rolo that precautions had to be taken. Given all that had transpired, both Switch and Rolo looked and felt visibly relieved at Chets arrival.

"Dude, more than you know." replied Switch.

"Yeah, officer friendly had a little talk with us. And by officer friendly, I mean the sheriff. And what I mean by little talk I mean that..." explained Rolo.

Switch cut him off however. "He's been askin us questions about the challenge we made to the town. Man I knew it was a bad idea. It's not like the bad old days anymore. People are a hell of a lot more uptight now.” Switch interjected.

"Yeah, I know. But we had to do it. All part of the plan." Chet replied.

He then took out both a cigarette and a lighter from his jacket pocket then lit up. The drag he took was slow and deep. 

"Whose plan!? Your plan or the pompous little squares plan!?" asked Switch.

"Yeah! Who are we actually doin shit for!? Who's really callin the shots!?" asked Rolo.

Chet grabbed his cigarette with both the ring and index fingers of his left hand. It was after a slight pause before Chet breathed out a long plume of smoke from his mouth. He then let his left arm hang slackly at his side. Chet never failed to always have a calm and relaxed demeanour, even when he felt neither in the slightest.

"Whose plan you ask? Why, would you believe it's both? Even though Charles and I may benefit from our mutual arrangement, as intended, let me assure you gentlemen that it'll be our master plan that we'll fulfill, not his. For now though, both our plans will coincide for the foreseeable future." explained Chet.

"And as always Rolo, good buddy, I'm the one you're actually doin shit for. I'm the one who's really callin the shots, and don't you forget it." asserted Chet calmly.

"Yeah that's all well and good, but will you ever let us in on your so called master plan!? I mean, we're your best pals and we have no idea what's goin on! Your treatin us like chumps here! expounded Switch.

"Yeah! Brothers for life! Remember!?" added Rolo.

"In due time fellas. All I ask is that you don't stop trustin me, your leader. I need your trust now more than ever! Big things are commin and we need to stick together. So just relax alright!?" pleaded Chet.

"Well, you never steered us wrong before. I trust ya. Just don't keep us in the dark forever." asked Switch.

"I still trust you to. You're a good dude." said Rolo.

"Thanks fellas, it means a lot. I promise you guys that our gang will come out on top! Don't you worry bout that!" proclaimed Chet.

Chet then performed the secret Salt Bay Turbo handshake with Switch then Rolo. A sign of solidarity, though for Switch, rang hollow. Chets grip wasn't as firm as it usually was. 

"Hey, ya seen short man around?" asked Rolo.

"He's with church girl aka Miranda." replied Chet.

"For a church girl she sure is loose with her holiness. Well, not that loose. We're talkin bout Divo here guys! I mean come on!" joked Switch.

Both Chet and Rolo giggled. Switch himself let out one of his signature obnoxious hyena laughs. It was for that brief moment that Chet forgot the various issues that swirled around in his mind. So many loose ends. So many things that could go wrong. Chet began to question his leadership as of late. Such a feeling of uncertainty increased over the last week. The conversation they just had further intensified that feeling to new and uncomfortable levels. Truly, he never felt so anxious before.

Chet took another deep, slow drag of his cigarette.


	3. Chapter 2

Corrine awoke to something rather heavy on her chest. She couldn't breathe, let alone move. She squirmed around until something fluffy brushed her nose. The object jumped off of her and instead layed next to her. She opens her eyes to see Sebastian standing there with a mouse in his mouth.

"Sebby! You jerk!" She crossed her arms and growled angrily. But one look into the fat cats eyes melted her heart.

"Oh, I can never stay mad at you!" She hugged her cat tightly and swung him around. He hissed and ran off. Not without scratching her face, of course. She quickly rushed to the bathroom to wash her wound. A large red scratch wound was across her cheek. Served her right for squeezing the life out of her cat.

Corrine got dressed, gathered her things, and decided to take a ride down to the beach. Maybe she could explore somewhere new. She parked her bike near the beach, putting a special lock on it. She had never been under the boardwalk before. She ran over to the wooden poles, only to hide behind a rock. She heard voices, but didn't know where they came from. Corrine stood there, hoping no one would find her.

~~

"Hey there little lady!" greeted Divo.

It came as no surprise to him that Corinne would find her way down to the underside of the boardwalk. Corinne did strike him as the inquisitive type after all. He watched as Corinne went from the hiding behind one of the wooden pillars to hiding behind the rock before he greeted her. Rather than spook her, as he initially intended, he instead opted to greet her cheerfully. 

It just so happened that Divo was still in an amazing mood from the night before. Miranda was quite the sweetheart, no doubt about it. Their night together at the party ended romantically enough, though he'd be lying if he wasn't slightly disappointed. Miranda was known as the church girl after all but Divo could tell that she had a wickedly fun side to her. A kiss goodnight was all he got, but the kiss though, was more than a little smutty. So much so that it got to a point where she was doing all of the work. A quiet girl with a sexually dominant side. That suited Divo just fine. As far as he was concerned, it was worth the wait.

"We gotta stop meeting like this." commented Divo.

~~

Corrine jumped and squeaked. Someone found her?! She turned around to see that it was just Divo. She tried to stop her beating heart, but it was no use.

"Oh, it's just you. You scared me! What are you doing here, anyway? Do you like coming to the beach too?" she asked.

Divo seemed to be in a peppy mood. Did something happen last night? Corrine sat down daintily on a nearby rock. She couldn't tell him that she was spying. He won't trust her anymore. Not that he trusted her too much anyways. But she needed to be more cautious. Curiosity always leaded to trouble with her.

~~

Divo gave Corinne quite a bemused look. He was sure that Corinne discovered the Salt Bay Turbos unofficial hangout spot. It was in that moment that Divo realised that Corinnes courage may actually be attributed to innocence, not bravery. Such a discovery put Divo in a rather playful mood.

"Yeah I'm a real surfer dude, in case you couldn't tell. Let me just get on my surfboard real quick." said Divo.

Divo then proceeded to clamber up onto the rock behind which Corinne hid. He was surprisingly spry for such a short, stocky guy. His feet slipped a couple of times though. He stood upon the small boulder with a wide, squatting stance. His arms were stretched straight out to the sides, like a surfer.

"Kawabunga!" yelled Divo.

These antics, of course, caught the attention of the nearby Salt Bay Turbos. Rolo and Switch themselves were particularly amused.

"That ain't no surfboard ya nub!" shouted Rolo.

"Yeah! If ya want a surfboard, send your mum over to my place!" shouted Switch.

 

~~

She giggles before hearing two familiar voices. She hops off of her rock and hides. She knows it's no use but it's a habit of hers. If you get caught, hide!, her brother always told her. People can't catch you if they can't find you. 

She found it funny how they were underneath the boardwalk and not near the water like most people would be. It was rather intriguing. She figured it must be a hangout spot. A hangout spot she could take if she wanted. But that was rather selfish of her. The beach belonged to everyone! Except it belongs to her.

"Switch is here? And R-Rolo?" Corrine blushed, remembering last nights antics.

~~

"What you talkin about!? You're so broke you can't even afford Popsicle sticks!" retorted Divo.

"I've got a Popsicle stick for your mum, and she can suck it aaalll niiiigghhht Loooong." shouted Switch.

"Why you..." Divo began before stopping himself in his tracks. He didn't want his anger to spook Corinne after all.

He looked down and saw Corinne hiding away from the fellas. She seemed really shy and embarrassed for some reason. Perhaps she wished to not see the big fella himself. Perhaps something happened between them the previous night before, something embarrassing maybe? Whatever the reason was, Divo did not wish to call attention upon Corinne, for it was obvious that she desired none.

"See ya around little lady." Divo whispered loudly down to her. He gave Corinne a conspiratorial wink.

"Who ya talkin to!? Your imaginary girlfriend!?" shouted Rolo.

"Yeah! She doesn't occupy space, and even she says you take up too much room!" Divo shouted back.

"What!?" replied Rolo, who was undoubtedly confused.

"Good one Divo! Did you find that joke in the space inside your mums vagina!?" shouted Switch.

"Screw you!" Divo yelled back.

Divo hopped off the boulder with an audible thud then made his way to the group.

~~

Corrine tries her best not to laugh, but she ends up cracking up. Their banter reminds her so much of her older brothers, bickering and fighting about anything and everything. She was close to tears.

"HAHAHA! Imaginary girlfriend! That sounds like something Antonio would say!"

She stands up and comes out of her hiding. She hangs onto a rock and continues laughing, wiping her tears away and forgetting that the others can see her, plain as day.

~~

"What the..." Switch began to say, before being interrupted by Rolos exuberant outburst.

"Corinne baby!" shouted Rolo.

The big, hefty fella bounded and plodded through the sand of the beach towards Corinne. His body moved with the grace of a beached walrus whilst his arms waved with the erratic excitement of a hungry seagull. Seeing Rolo run was quite a rare sight. Usually it was he who made other people run. Whether by fear or obligation, they always ran. Suffice it to say, such an inspiring display brought upon a less than inspiring response from the other members of the Salt Bay Turbos. Many of which struggled to stifle their laughter.

Rolo panted and heaved heavily when he reached Corinne a couple of moments later. His face looked flushed and there were beads of sweat on his brow. Nevertheless, he wore an expression of ecstatic excitement. 

"Hey, there, little, darlin." Rolo greeted quickly between his various pants and heaves.

~~

"Hehe... Hi, Rolo! You seem cheery today! Did something happen?" 

She takes Rolo's hand and beams. She's never really had a boyfriend. Or the equivalent to it. It felt nice to have someone care for her so much. She felt loved, quite dearly.

"I guess all your little friends are here too! Haven't seen you together since I met you!" The last time she had seen them together was when she snuck off from work and found their clubhouse. It was only a week ago yet it felt like she has known them forever.

~~

Rolo took a couple of deep breaths before proceeding to speak. He felt significantly calmer after his third deep breath. Such a manoeuvre allowed him to regain his composure. Well, as composed as Rolo could get. He then wiped the sweat from his forehead with the leather sleeve of his jacket. Leather wasn't the most porous of materials, so he merely spread the sweat further along his brow.

"What're you doin down here baby girl? Is there some square givin you trouble?" Rolo asked.

"Yo! Corinne! Switch called out.

Both Divo and Chet looked visibly uncomfortable. It was like they were trying to ignore the elephant in the room. The rest of the Salt Bay Turbos murmured amongst themselves whilst looking at Corinne, wondering what her next move will be. Chet made a gesture at Divo then towards Corinne. Divo himself nodded then proceeded forth towards the couple. 

 

~~

"Oh, don't worry, I'm fine! Well, I was gonna collect some sea shells, but I guess I found you instead!" She giggled. She couldn't help bit feel the stares coming from the other members. She felt a little bad that she might have been interupting something.

"Hey, hey, what are they taking about? Why are they staring?  
Are you guys having a meeting!? Oh no! I'm ruining everything, huh? I'm sorry!  
M-maybe I should go." 

~~

And then there was one.

 

"It's nothin babe. Just us guys hanging out is all." placated Rolo.

A moment later, Divo approached both Rolo and Corinne. He wore of look of trepidation. Almost like he was anticipating something, something bad. Anyone who knew Rolo knew that he didn't take bad news well. It was also known amongst his peers that Rolo had an unfortunate habit of shooting the messager, so to speak. And so Divo braced himself before he passed on Chets orders.

"Corinne, it's real nice to see y-you again." Divo greeted nervously.

"And Rolo? You know the rules right? About non-members and club meetings? Look, we all like Corinne. She's a real cool cat, but..." Divo paused for a moment before getting to the point.

"Technically, according to club rules, Corinne ain't allowed to be here. She's not really a member of the Salt Bay Turbos after all. We all like her though big guy, we really do. Don't get me wrong." Divo explained nervously.

"Well Divo, little buddy. I'm glad you like Corinne. I'm glad you approve of my choices in life. And I'm especially glad that you think that I'm the kinda guy who would follow the rules." the derision in Rolos voice when he said that last word was painfully obvious.

"I'M AN OUTLAW DAMNIT! AIN'T NOBODY GONNA CONTROL ME! AND THAT GOES DOUBLE FOR A GROUP OF LAME LITTLE SELLOUTS!" Rolo shouted.

Divo backed away several steps with his hands raised in front of him. He was literally shaking in his boots. Sure, Rolo got mad before, but Divo couldn't help but notice that so,etching was different this time around. Something has changed, most definitely. 

"What are you t-talking about?" stammered Divo.

"Yeah, what are you talking about Rolo?" asked Chet. 

The leader of the Salt Bay Turbos approached Rolo whilst he screamed at Divo. And now he stood between the two, like a sentinel. The coldness in Chets voice was quite chilling indeed. It was rare for Chet be angry at any of the crew, let alone Rolo. Divo quickly scampered away, back towards Switch and the rest of the Salt Bay Turbos. The entire crew was silent with shock and anticipation.

Rolo made a sigh of resignation before replying to Chets question. "Whatever, Corinne lets split. It's gettin real boring around here anyway." 

Rolo approached Corinne then wrapped his left arm around her shoulders. He then guided her away from beneath the boardwalk, away from the rest of the Salt Bay Turbos. Chet merely stared after them, with a look of barely contained rage in his eyes. The rest of the crew just stared on in silence. Even Switch was left speechless. 

"Nevermind your pretty little head about all that Corinne baby. It's all behind us now." said Rolo quietly. 

As Rolo led Corinne to his motorcycle opinion the parking lot, he felt uncertain, yet free. A combination of feelings that Rolo had never felt before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We will be posting chapters much slower than usual, but we will still be working on this series. Please as any questions @the-battle-of-sea-salt-bay on tumblr. We apologize for the shorter chapter. They may vary in length at times. Thank you for understanding.


	4. Chapter 3

Corrine jumped as Rolo screamed as his friends. She didn't quite understand what was going on. Why wasn't she allowed? She just wanted to look for seashells. But she seemed to have caused a bit of conflict. She wanted to ask what was wrong, but decided to keep it to herself. Did they get into a fight while she was away?

She decided to brush it off and continue following Rolo. But something in her churned the wrong way. It wasn't fair! She should be able to go where ever she wants! Why was she even listening to them?! 

"Oh no! I dropped something!" She lied. "I'll be right back!" Corrine kisses Rolo's cheek before running back under the docks. She smiles at the Salt Bay Turbos and takes out her pocket knife. She quickly carved her initials on the back of the wooden pole, making sure no one can see what she was doing. She gave a cute, but almost evil grin and ran off snickering. 

She wrapped her arm around Rolo's and giggled happily.

"So, where are we going?" she asked.

~~

"Wherever the road takes us baby girl." replied Rolo.

Roll led Corrine back to his Harley Davidson FL that sat parked in one of the parking spaces near the beach. I slight breeze blew through the air, cooling so every slightly a rather heated man. Rolo began to feel rather uncomfortable in his leather jacket. So much so that he took it off, exposing the pit-stained White t-shirt beneath. His gut hung slightly out of the bottom of the shirt in an unflattering manner. 

"Seriously Corrine baby, is there anywhere you wanna go? Cuz I'm up for whatever. Just as long as we don't have to spend no money. Being this powerful ain't cheap." Rolo stated whilst patting his gut.

~~

"Where I want to go?" She has been in this town for almost a month and had never really explored other than the beach, the boardwalk, and that cliff Rolo took her to. 

"Show me someplace... scary! Or maybe somewhere we can explore! I wanna go on an adventure! Pretty please, Rolo?"She was always up for an adventure. She didn't care if she got into trouble or not, it felt nice to be free.

"I want you to take me someplace where I can spend the rest of the day having fun! No limits!" A sparkle could be seen for Corrine's eyes. She could only imagine the old secrets this town held. There was one lace that intrigued her the most. There was a lighthouse on top of a rock at the edge of the boardwalk that didn't seem to be working.

"Take me to the lighthouse! The one over there!" She points to the little rock it stands on.

~~

Rolo looked towards the direction in which Corrine pointed. At the end of the board walk stood the local lighthouse. It looked like how one would picture a lighthouse. A tall, white, cylindrical structure that had a red swirling stripe painted around, going from top to bottom. It was quite an old lighthouse to be sure, but one that the local community took great pride in. It's constant upkeep and occasional renovations kept the structure in good condition. A charming building if there ever was one.

"You wanna go in there? Well, it's not tourist season so there probably ain't gonna be crowds or nothin, so." Rolo paused briefly before continuing.

"Yeah, let's do it! That lighthouse has the best view of the bay in town. Especially on a nice day like this, what with blue skies, clear water and such." stated Rolo.

And so Rolo and Corrine walked hand in hand towards the what is commonly referred to by the locals as Fishermans Folly or The Lonely Lighthouse.

~~

"Yay! I wonder what's inside... maybe ghosts~!" Corrine teases. "But ghosts aren't real. They're just made up to scare little kids into doing their chores." Corrine states matter of factly. Again, her logical side is showing. But she was still curious to see what was actually inside. Rolo had said it was a tourist spot, which took the fun out of going there a little bit. There may not be anything spooky there at all.

It took Corrine a little while to notice, but her hand was interlocked with Rolo's. Her cheeks turned pink. She looked away and chuckled. She had never held hands with anyone before besides her brothers when crossing the street. Corrine's heart began to flutter. It was such a subtle yet romantic move. 

 

~~

Rolo held Corrines hand like it was a delicate rose petal. His grip was firm and unyielding yet soft and gentle. So engrossed was he by the sensation of her hand in his that he narrowly evaded walking into one of the park benches situated on the side of the lighthouse Boardwalk, facing out into the bay. As warm as the sun was that day, for Rolo at least, it was nothing compared to the warmth of Corrines hand.

The couple walked in silence, admiring the perfect spring day on the bay. A flock of western gulls nearby took wing on a particularly strong gust of wind that blew. Off in the distance, at the far end of he beach near the rocks, a pack of seals could be heard sounding their distict barking sounds as they lounged on the sandy beach. 

A couple of minutes of strolling later they finally reached the base of the lighthouse. Its oak door was left open to the public. An information panel stood next to the doorway, complete with a very old black and white photo of the lighthouse as well as a group photo its builders. They were haggard looking manly men in old timey clothes. One of them sported a rather large and impressive bushy beard with a smoking pipe in his mouth. The information board reads as follows:

Here stands the Lonely Lighthouse, known amongst sailors as Fisherman's Folly. First built in the year 1883, this lighthouse served the people of Sea Salt Bay for many decades guiding fishing vessels back to shore. Sadly though, the Sea Salt Bay local fishing industry ended up going belly up. It just couldn't compete with the industries of larger towns and cities anymore. And so this lighthouse soon fell out of commission when the fishermen left the bay for better opportunities in livelier waters. Despite this, the Sea Salt Bay local council has maintained this lighthouse and opened it up to tourists and the locals out of pride for our town and its history. 

"I've always loved this lighthouse." stated Rolo.

~~

Corrine looked at Rolo, puzzled.

"Really? Why?" She looks up at him and cocks her head to the left. "Its just an old lighthouse. What's so important?" What was the point of loving an old building? Though she couldn't say anything. She had quite the attachment to her old home.

~~

Rolo gave Corrine a slightly amused look.

"It's a Sea Salt Bay thing Corrine. You're the new chick, so I don't expect you to get it. But wait til you see the view from the top of this baby!" Rolo exclaimed excitedly.

He then grabbed Corrines hand and led her inside the lighthouse. The room inside was circular, as the architecture visible from the outside suggests. On the ground floor was what what looked like a living area filled with antique furniture. The room was quite spartan in decoration, which perfectly represented the simple and humble life of a lighthouse keeper. A pinewood dining table with four pinewood chairs sat in the middle of the room. Beneath the winding staircase that circled the interior of the wall, lay a single bed. On the opposite wall sat a wardrobe, a couple of kitchen appliances, and a large antique radio. A door to a small bathroom area stood nearby. Overall, it looked like a cozy place to live.

Rolo walked up to the dining table then put his hand on to the table top. He felt the old, smooth wood grain beneath his fingertips. He stood there, lost in thought. A deeply pensive look played across his features.

~~

Corrine wasn't to used to Rolo acting so reminiscent. He looked like he was remembering something near and dear to him. She gently tugged his shirt, trying to snap him out of his reverie.

"Rolo? Hey, Rolo? Are you ok? Are you daydreaming?"

Rolo didn't seem to budge. She decided to go interrupt whatever he was thinking about. A creaky door caught her attention. She quietly left Rolo's side and wandered off up the stairwell and into another room.

~~

"Hey Corrine! Wait for me!" Rolo called out.

It took him a few moments to realise that Corrine was trying to get his attention, so enraptured he was by the memories the table elicited. Memories both wonderful yet painful in equal measure. Such memories stirred a deep longing within Rolos heart. For what did he long for, Rolo had yet to tell a single soul. But the longing was there, with its ceaseless intensity. The sound of Corrine walking up the spiral staircase though, at long last, finally broke his reverie.

Rolo walked up the spiral staircase towards Corrine, who stopped in her tracks. They were only a fraction of the way to the top but already Rolos heart beated rapidly. A new batch of sweat formed upon his brow. 

"It's a long way up to the light room at the top, and I don't wanna be left behind." stated Rolo.

"But you know me, I ain't what I used to be. I'm gonna level with ya baby girl. Those are a hell of a lot of damn stairs, and I don't think I can make it all in one go. Maybe I can, with you by my side. Just go a little slow ok?" confessed Rolo meekly.

It was the first time in a long time that he began to feel ashamed of his weight. Such concerns, he always believed, were way too girly for a tough guy like him. The fact that he had trouble climbing the lighthouse stairs though, made him feel not so tough. The very thought made him feel uneasy.

~~

Corrine laughed. "Aw, I'm sure you'll be fine! Have a little more faith in yourself! You can accomplish more than you think. But since you asked me nicely I'll go slower." she grabbed his hand and began walking up the stairs, much slower than her usual speed walk.

Something struck a chord with her. Rolo's words ringed in her ear. 

"I ain't what I used to be."

What was that supposed to mean? How much different was past Rolo compared to present Rolo? Then again, she didn't know much about Rolo in the first place. Only the things that he and Chet told her. She felt compelled to ask, but didn't know if she should. She didn't want to bring up anything bad. Yet her words decided to act on their own accord.

"Hey, Rolo...?" She started to ask softly.

~~

Yeah?" Rolo asked.

~~

"Is Rolo your real name?" She blurted out quickly. She didn't want to sound rude, but her curiosity was too great.

~~

"Errmm uhhh." Rolo stalled.

Such a question always made him feel uncomfortable. As far as he knew, nobody else but Chet knew his real name. That was exactly how Rolo liked it. If Switch and Divo were to ever learn the truth, then. It was an outcome that Rolo dared not ever let come to pass, for his street cred would be shot otherwise.

"Let's get to the top of this baby. You'll love the view." said Rolo. He hoped that he effectively dodged Corrines question.

And so Rolo and Corrine ascended the spiral staircase of the lighthouse. Rolo stopped to take a breather ever seven to ten steps. He couldn't help but feel that Corrine was getting very impatient with him, though she showed no outward signs of it. After what felt like forever they finally made to the top of the lighthouse. At the top of the stairs Rolo issued a heavy sigh. 

At the top of the staircase was a large circular room that housed the massive decommissioned kerosene beacon. Rolo was always surprised at how great yet humble the beacon looked up close. He could only imagine what it looked like when it was lit. Of course the walls of the circular room were mostly made of huge glass panels, as to allow the light from the beacon to be shone out into the waters below. A little further along this wall from the stairs was a single door. That too was left open, allowing the sound of the ocean and its fresh breeze to blow through the circular room. 

"Looks like we made it Corrine baby. I couldn't have done it without you." Rolo admitted meekly.

~~

"Whoa... you can see forever." Corrine leaned against the window, staring out at the blue, crystal waters. She could see a few families and their picnic baskets on the beach, playing and laughing while splashing in the water.

It all reminded her too much of home. She wiped her hair way from her face, only to feel that her cheek was wet with her tears. She hadn't realized that she was crying and rather audibly at that. 

"Rolo?" she said. "I miss my old home. I miss Caramel Cove and I miss all my friends. I miss the old, broken down lighthouse I used to play in and I miss my old school. I miss my family, especially Mama. Everything is being taken away from me. Pretty soon, all my brothers are gonna move out and I'm gonna be left all alone with that jerk! I'll have to move away from everyone and I'll be all alone!" 

She falls to her knees and buries her face in her hands.

"I'm such a big baby..."

~~

Rolo dropped down on his knees next to Corrine and and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. He could feel her shake with each sob. She was so small, so fragile. Yet there was an element to her that Rolo could sense. There was something about her, something unbreakable. She wore her heart on her sleeve, it seemed, yet she was not afraid to throw caution to the wind. Perhaps Corrine merely was as sentimental as Rolo was at times. And so he just held her whilst not knowing what to say, but understanding all the same.

"Corrine." whispered Rolo.

"Let's go outside. The view out there is amazing." suggested Rolo in a more lighthearted tone.

He helped Corrine back onto her feet then led her out of the open door. The doorway lead to the balcony that circled the outside of the top of the lighthouse. The railing surprisingly had very little rust, and not a trace of bird poop to be found. Rolo grabbed the railing with both hands and leaned forward. He let the wind tussle his hair. From their lofty vantage point they could see the entire bay, as well as the various restaurants and tourist shops near the boardwalk. To their right the sea stretched out into the horizon. Rolo could vaguely see the fellas beneath the boardwalk itself. Such a vista was in itself a representation of Sea Salt Bay. Beautiful on the outside yet mysterious and dirty just beneath the surface. 

"Ya know what Corrine?" asked Rolo.

 

~~

Corrine wiped her face with her handkerchief. Her eyes were still red and her nose was still runny. She didn't look like the cute, porcelain doll that she normally seems to be. 

"Hm? What is it?" Corrine sniffled, still staring out at the beach town bellow.

~~

"Who needs it. Who needs any of it." replied Rolo.

He then turned to Corrine at his side. Rolo gently and deftly wiped a single tear that rolled down Corrines face with the side of his right fore finger. He then swept her hair out of her eyes. 

"We got our whole lives ahead of us and it's only just the beginnin’. We can't go back to the way things were, ain't none of us can. But the road ahead promises diners that have waffles with bacon and ice cream. What I'm sayin little lady is screw the past, who needs it. The futures where it's at." lectured Rolo.

"But maybe we can swing by Caramel Cove one day, ya know, just for laughs. We can laugh at the squares who are too chicken to move on with their lives. And I do love me some caramel." stated Rolo.

"First of all sweet thing. I gotta do somethin’ crazy. Somethin’ I've always dreamed about doin’. And baby ya better believe it's gonna shake the house down, ya dig!?" blathered Rolo excitedly.

~~

Corrine wiped the tears away from her face. Rolo was right. She couldn't dwell on the past. If she did, her life wouldn't move forward. She would never grow up. She had to focus on making a future for herself. Her frown turned into a smile, then a giggle.

"You know what? You're right, Rolo. You're really really right. Let's just keep moving forward." She said. She sighed with content and leaned into Rolo's chest.

"Maybe you could take me to caramel cove. It's like here but...more antique. There's lots of old people. They're all so nice though. They're sweet, like you!" Corrine gives him a quick peck on the cheek and smiles, blushing.

~~

Rolo issued forth a forlorn sigh. There were so many things he wished to do in this world, in this life. And all of those things he wished to do he only wished to do with her. It would all begin with both Rolo and Corrine riding off together into the sunset. The engine roaring in defiance of all that wished to crush their spirits and cage their hearts. Sadly though, such a thing could not be, not yet anyway. Whether he liked it or not, Rolo had an obligation he just couldn't walk away from. An obligation known to him and him alone.

"Little lady, I wish we could blow this popsicle stand for good. But I....." began Rolo before pausing in a state of indecisiveness.

"I love this town ya know. It's corny as all hell and totally square but, I guess you can say, I've got that hometown pride." Rolo confessed.

"I don't know when we could go the Caramel Cove Corrine baby. Stuffs real messed up with the gang right now. Nobody has said nothin’ but I can tell that shit ain't right. The fellas need me, ya dig?" explained Rolo.

"But I promise you baby girl, as soon as things are tight again, we'll go wherever you want." said Rolo earnestly.

 

~~

"I don't think you're, what do you call it... square? I think you're wonderful! And you can stay here if you want. I understand if you don't wanna go anywhere boring like home. Er... Caramel Cove." Corrine couldn't help but but a bit disappointed. She wanted to show off her old home so badly, like Rolo had done to her but that was a dream for another day.

Something burned in her chest. Chet was saying something about weird things happening between the Salt Bay Turbos. Yet he never explained the situation. What was so troubling that everyone in Sea Salt Bay was on edge?

"Rolo? Please tell me what's going on. Everyone seems so upset lately and I wanna know what happened. Why is everyone being so mean to each other? And who were the bikers who came to the party? Who are they? What's the deal with that other rich kid? What was his name? Carson?" 

Corrine, overloaded with her own questions, sits on the ground and grumbles. So much was going on. Anyone would be overloaded. Especially if you're thrown into the situation. Though she couldn't imagine how Rolo felt. He must have been exhausted with everything going on.

~~

Role paused for a moment before responding to Corrines questions. Such questions were difficult to answer, especially in Rolos case. And even if he could answer said questions, he wasn't sure if he would want to. His reticence wouldn't be out of mistrust, but rather, out of a desire to spare the worry that the answers would bring. As a high ranking member of the Salt Bay Turbos, it was Rolos duty to shoulder as much of the burden of the crews dynamics as possible. Though admittedly, dealing with the politics of internal squabbles was not exactly Rolos forte. But seeing as how, at the time, Corrine was the one person in the whole world he trusted the most, he decided to give it a shot.

"Corrine, somthins’ up. I don't know what and I damn well don't know why, but I know. I can feel it ya dig. The vibe just ain't right no more. It's real hard to explain little lady, but I guess it's somethin’ you can only see if you've been in the Salt Bay Turbos as long as I have." Rolo attempted to explain.

"I love the fellas to death Corrine, I really do. That's why it's so..... not cool with me. It just ain't the same no more, I dunno." Rolo attempted to explain further.

"But what I do know for sure baby girl is that I bet that rich twerp has somethin’ to do with it. I don't know what he's plannin’ but I know it can't be somethin’ good. That's the thing about that little twerp, he's always plannin’ somethin’. That sneaky little snitch. But do you know the worst thing about this whole thing? I think the boss has gotten in too deep. He insists that we're gonna play the rich twerp but I don't know if that's the case no more. If anythin’, I think he's playin us." Rolo explained in as much detail as he could muster.

"And that's why we can't go anywhere just yet. I'm afraid that somethin’ could happen at any time and that I need to be around to help if it does. But, it just gets so hard ya know. Sometimes I feel like it would be easier to just take off into the sunset and start somethin’ new. Get a new group of fellas to kick it with. Do somethin’ with motors and stuff." confessed Rolo.

"Hey Corrine!? Wouldn't it be nuts if I started my own crew?" Rolo asked excitedly.

~~

"Your own crew? L-Like another Salt Bay Turbos but not? What would Switch and Divo think? And that other guy, Chet? They might get really mad at you. But if you really want to, I say go for it! It's your chance to make something big!" Corrine smiles.

"I say do whatever feels good in your heart. If it feels right, then you're probably doing the right thing. Hehe... maybe I could join too. Corrine giggles, jokingly, but not really. She had always dreamed of being apart of small group or gang her whole life. Of course, no one wanted to let her in in fear of her getting hurt or her not being intimidating enough.

"If you made a gang, what would it be called?"

~~

"To be honest little lady. I ain't thought that far ahead yet. But if I were to name my crew anything, I would call us the Metal Monster Mayhem Badass Awesome Club, or somethin. The names gotta be tough baby girl. People have gotta recognize that we mean business." answered Rolo.

"And I don't know what the fellas would think. Maybe some would come with, others won't. Whatever a man chooses is his choice. That's what my pops used to always tell me. And thanks for cheerin’ me on Corrine, I really appreciate ya." stated Rolo.

He then gripped Corrine by the hips with his hands then pulled her gently towards him. Rolo then gave Corrine a quick and sweet peck on the lips. Even Rolo himself couldn't believe how comfortable he felt around her. Truth be told, stealing secret little kisses here and there was proving to be just as fun as full blown makeout sessions. Perhaps it was the taboo aspect of it coupled with the conspiratorial and mischievous spirit of it all that excited him the most. Unsurprisingly, Rolo was one for breaking the rules. A genuine smile spread across his face after the little kiss.

"With you by my side baby girl, anything is possible." declared Rolo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, a rather long chapter but I think this is one of my favorite parts! I hope you enjoyed. I think this could make up for the lack of updates. I didnt realize I was posting chapters faster than my friend and I were writing them!


	5. Kimiko

"Kimiko, oh Kimiko!" called out Mr. Yoshida.

The estate in Kyoto in which the Yoshida’s inhabited was a relatively large one, situated near the bamboo forest west of the city. Built in the traditional Edo period style, the Yoshida estate has been passed down for generations. All the way back to the time when the Yoshida family were loyal high-ranking retainers for lord Nobunaga Oda. Surrounded by walls that were several feet high, were the manor itself as well as the spacious and luxurious zen garden towards the back of the estate. It is within this garden that Mr. Yoshida knelt, beneath a Sakura tree. He was gazing into the koi pond in front of him, whilst pondering deeply his many burdens. Kimiko herself stood in a nearby gazebo, practicing her calligraphy with a large ink brush and several large pieces of paper. Upon hearing her father’s summons she immediately stopped what she was doing to answer his call.

"Yes father?" Kimiko answered dutifully.

"I have something I need to discuss with you, precious daughter." said Mr. Yoshida gravely.

"What is it father? Is it about that boy?" asked Kimiko.

"You were always so very clever. Why yes it is." answered her father.

"But first, answer me this. Do you know why I've insisted that we spend more time with each other, while partaking in traditional activities?" he asked.

"N-no I haven't" Kimiko answered meekly.

"It's because I wanted to reinforce within you, a lesson. A very important lesson I might add. For you see Kimiko, no matter where you go in this world, you will always have both strength and a place to call home, for the spirit of Japan will always be with you." lectured Mr. Yoshida.

"Umm what does the spirit of Japan have to do with that boy?" Kimiko asked out of genuine confusion.

"I was just getting to that. And please do not speak out of turn. It is unbecoming of a young lady of your stature." reprimanded her father.

"Sorry father, please forgive me." replied Kimiko.

"All is forgiven. Now, about that boy. It seems that he is spending a year at home all by his lonesome. Judging by my talk with him, and by what his father has told me, he is in need of guidance. And as I see it Kimiko, you are in need of a test." stated Mr. Yoshida.

"A test?" she asked with genuine curiosity.

"Yes, a test. Later on this year I will send you to America to see this boy. You shall work alongside him in order to establish a Yoshida electronics store in his town. Who knows? Maybe you'll get to know each other? Hmm?" explained her father.

Kimiko saw this coming a long way away, but to have it confirmed like this was still quite a shock to her. 

"I understand." Kimiko replied.

"Good." said Mr. Yoshida.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes this part is canon with the rest of the story! I had no place to put this in any other section but to give it its own. There will be more updates soon, so stay tuned!


	6. Chapter 4

Man what's up his butt!? He was totally cool this morning when we were hangin out." stated Switch.

The crew of the Salt Bay Turbos mostly disbanded for the day after Rolo had his little row with Chet. The only ones that remained beneath the boardwalk to hang out were Chet, Switch, and Divo. They mostly just stood in silence, listening to the crashing of the waves whilst smoking their cigarettes. It was Switch though that finally broke the silence. 

"I dunno man. I guess the big fella is moody is all. Probably still tired from last night. It got pretty wild, that's for sure." answered Divo.

"Yeah, but it wasn't until the new girl showed up that he spazzed out like that. But to be fair, telling her to go away like that was pretty lame. Especially since we all think she's a cool cat." replied Switch.

"For once Switch I agree with ya. What do you think boss, I mean Chet? Should we let her hang with us outside of school during our club only meetings? She's totally cool and everything, and Rolo seems to be even crazier about her than the last one." explained Divo.

"That's what I'm afraid of. Maybe you were right before Divo, about being worried and stuff. But above all else, we gotta respect each others decisions, no matter what, cuz that's what brothers do." stated Chet.

"Damn straight. said Switch.

"Amen." said Divo.

Chet sighed before continuing. "I don't know what Rolos damage is to be honest. But I think we should just give him space, for now. Oh and rules are rules, we make no exceptions." Rolo conceded.

It wasn't unusual for Rolo to become enraged seemingly out of nowhere but for Chet himself to square up against him like that? Murmurs circulated amongst the crew about a possible schism in the group. But Divo and Chet knew more than anybody that such a thing was unlikely. In a one on one fight, Rolo could defeat Chet simply by the virtue of his massive size. The role of leader though fell on Chet, for he was, pound for pound, the fiercest and most skilled fighter the Salt Bay Turbos had. He was also a heck of a lot more level headed than Rolo, which gave him a much more legitimate claim to the leadership. For a long time Rolo was completely supportive of the arrangement, for even he was willing to admit that he lacked both the patience and the work ethic to lead. These were strange times though, and nothing was certain anymore. As far as anyone was concerned, anything could happen, no matter how unlikely.

~~

Corrine blushed and covered her beet red face. "R-Rolo! You can't do that, what if someone sees?!" Corrine cried out. Luckily, no one was around them, but she swore to keep their love a secret. At least from her brothers. Though she would be lying if she said she didn't like a little public display of affection every once in awhile.

"B-but uh... let's work on that name, ok?" she stuttered, still blushing.

~~

Charles wandered around the area of Lovers Haven with his faithful bloodhound Lucius in tow. The lean and stout hound sniffed the ground diligently for any interesting and unusual scents. A gift from his father for his twelfth birthday, Lucius was one of the few possessions that Charles treasured. A strong and intelligent animal with a regal bearing, it possessed the qualities that Charles admired the most. Like most loving pet owners, Charles felt more of attachment to his loyal bloodhound than any person he knew. For those who knew Charles the most, it was obvious that the reason behind the attachment to his bloodhound was more than just its "regal bearing".

The clearing itself was a lot less spooky during the day, but no less beautiful. The rocky monolith of Ghost Rock itself did not glow in the light of the sun, though it was majestic all the same. Admittedly though it was getting quite hot in the early afternoon sun. Charles wished not to spend any more time there than was absolutely necessary. He wasn't exactly the camping type. It was either first class or nothing.

All of a sudden, Lucius began to bark excitedly. He then pulled on the black leather leash that was bound to his red collar. Lucius pulled Charles along on the trail of the scent. 

"What is it boy!? Charles asked his pet.

Lucius led Charles away from the monolith of Ghost Rock and into one of the surrounding thicket of trees to the north of the area. The trees were extra thick around this area, making it a tad bit inconvenient to traverse. It was a few meters in that a very small clearing was found in which stood quite a stunted tree. The diligent hound walk towards that tree amidst the thicket then pawed at the base of it. The pawing then became a dig. A few moments later Lucius unearthed something rather interesting. Such a find brought a mischievous smile to Charles' face.

"Good boy! Who's a good boy!" praised Charles whilst he patted Lucius lovingly.

Charles then lifted the camera that hung from a strap around his neck. He took as many pictures as he felt he needed to. Those Salt Bay bozos were way too easy to manipulate, it seemed. The ease of which almost negated the fun of it all, well, almost.

~~

Antonio took a deep breath of fresh air and breathed out. The only time he felt less stressed was when he was alone. Or at least alone in the junkyard. Antonio sat on a pile of old mattresses, contemplating about his life and where to go from here. 

He had never really thought about his future. When he was in The Dragons, he thought he would die before finishing highschool. The awful fights the dragons had gotten into killed most of his friends and people he cared about. Once he moved away, he somewhat lost his purpose in life. He missed belonging to a gang. A tough one at that. He needed to find someone to hang with.

He sat up and stretched, scratching his back and trying to get his mind into something happier. 

"Think, Antonio, think..." before he could come up with anything, he heard a couple voices coming towards him. What were they doing on his turf?!

"Yeah, I know, it's crazy right? Something is up and I wanna find out." One called out.

"Is that why everyone is acting weird? I just thought it was a full moon until their behavior continued."

"HEY!" Antonio yelled. "What are you doing here?! This is my turf! Buzz off!" Anotio picked up a metal pole and pointed it at the two bystanders. The boys put their hands up in fear.

"Hey, hey, hey! Chill out dude we mean you no harm! But, could I ask what you're doing here alone?" The one with the green eyes asked.

Antonio puts down his pole and tosses it aside. "Well, uh, I've been thinking about joining a gang or making my own. Just like old times before I moved. What's it to ya?"

"Joining a gang, huh? That's new..." The boy with brown hair rolled his eyes.

"Shut up, dude. Maybe he can join us? He seems super tough." The two boys take a few steps back, whispering to each other. They come back smiling.

"Ok, you can join us. Welcome to the Slicks, Antonio. Tomorrow night, meet us here at the junkyard, ok?" The boys wave and take their leave, disappearing behind the garbage.

Antonio didn't quite know how to feel. On one hand, he finally gets to join a gang! His life is back on track! But he couldn't tell if this was a trap or if the strange boys were serious. The only way he would find out was to come back tomorrow night.

~~

"Drop down and give me twenty! You worthless maggot!" yelled Chet's father.

"Sir yes sir!" Chet yelled in response. 

It was yet another daily drill. Everyday, at the crack of dawn, Chet was ordered to wake up and run twenty miles before breakfast. His father always followed him like a crazed stalker during these runs. This was to ensure that Chet neither snuck off nor slacked off, not even for a second. And if that wasn't bad enough, there was the dreaded battery of drills at the end of his run. It starts off with fifty push-ups followed by a hundred crunches and two hundred burpees then finally, fifty chin-ups. Such a grueling daily morning regimen was hell on Chet but there was no other choice but to obey. For you see, Chet's father was a gruff and stern military man of a respectable rank. A true American hardass, he took no sass from anybody and demanded the very best at all times. Of course there were instances when Chet tried to rebel, many in fact. The thing was though, that Chet's father, despite his age, was still a very fit and strong man himself. His years in the military have drilled into him the finer points of hand-to-hand combat. And so if Chet ever acted up, his father would put him into a headlock then force him to do twenty push-ups. Which is exactly what happened.

"What is your major malfunction soldier!" yelled Chet's father.

"Being a stupid kid! Growing up and uhh stuff sir!" Chet yelled back back.

"You think I was born yesterday you worthless maggot!? Drop down and give me another twenty!" 

"Sir yes sir!" 

And so right as Chet finished his twenty push-up penalty, he was forced to do yet another twenty. Chet was beyond agonized by such a request yet he dare not let it show on his face, lest he incurred even more wrath than he already has. His arms, shoulders, and chest burned and strained to their limits just when he reached his fifth rep. Half-way through his sixth rep, Chet collapsed onto his family's front lawn. He panted heavily as large globs of sweat ran down into his eyes from his hair. This was too much, Chet thought to himself. This crazy old man is trying to kill me.

"Get back up you candy ass piece of trash! And give me my twenty!" yelled Chet's father.

"Yes sir." answered Chat in a defeated tone.

"What was that you piece of crap!?" demanded Chet's father.

"I said sir yes sir!" yelled Chet, much more loudly this time around.

"That's better! I'm going to make you into a fine soldier yet! No more prancing around with those homosexual little boyfriends of yours! Come hell or high water, I'm going to turn you into a real man!" declared Chet's father.

"Yes colonel, thank you colonel!" yelled Chet at the end of his tenth rep.

Yeah right, Chet thought bitterly to himself. If he kept this insanity up any longer, he wouldn't live long enough to be a man, let alone a so-called "real man". It was the colonel's plan for Chet to join the military as soon as he finished high school. Such a plan though, didn't suit Chat at all. He was a rebel and a leader at heart. What he needed was to be free to choose his own destiny, or so believed. But until he graduated high school, he decided that he just had to endure the old man's insanity. By then he would hopefully have enough money to move out of town and open a garage in LA. If all went to plan that was. 

And so Chet struggled to finish his new set of twenty push-ups, though he got there in the end. Chet was then promptly dismissed so he could get himself some breakfast and get ready for school. He knew not how nor why but for some reason, Chet felt more determined than he ever felt before.

~~

Ralphie and Spoon were hanging around the docks around five in the morning. Both of them were holding hands and staring at the sun rise. Ralphie was resting their head against spoons shoulder, sighing happily. Ralphie was certainly at their happiest when they were with Spoon. Spoon removed her face mask and kissed the top of Ralphie's head.

"Spoon, do you think we'll be together forever?" Ralphie asked.

Spoon nodded and grunted.

"Spoon, do you think we'll get married?" Ralphie asked.

Spoon hesitated, but nodded and grunted again.

"Spoon.... do you think Corrine will ever forgive us?" Ralphie trembled.

Spoon squeaked and shook her head. She knew the consequences of being friends with someone who was close to the Salt Bay Turbos. Slicks and Turbos never got along. The slicks were like the outcasted outcasts. The ones who never got a happy ending. The ones who climbed up the mountain to be second best. The ones who were regarded as a joke to the rest of the town. But they were family, nonetheless.

If someone found out that they were friends with someone on the opposite team, they would get kicked out and beaten. They would have to keep their relationship a secret with Corrine.

"Spoon, let's take our mind off of the negative. You seem to be zoning out." Ralphie snapped in Spoon's face. She flinched and growled. Ralphie quickly kissed her cheek and she immediately started to blush. Ralphie began to laugh and hug her.

"Do you think we could be friends with the Turbos?" Ralphie asked. They hated the fact that these two different gangs had to fight so often. If they could come together, they could become a powerful team and take over the town. Maybe they could take down Charles. Ralphie always knew something was up with that rich kid. 

Spoon nodded and snuggled close to Ralphie. Ralphie decide to enjoy their date with their girlfriend.

~~

"....and that is why Swedish meatballs will be taken off of the schools menu. We apologize for any inconvenience." droned the lunch lady.

Her voice was a perfect representation of how the entire student body of Sea Salt Bay high felt at the time, which was both agony and disinterest. The Monday morning assembly was an endless cavalcade of mindless droning of unimportant issues that concerned no-one at all. This was especially true in a school such as this one, where gossip was everyone's favourite hobby. A hobby which was practiced religiously. The assembly commenced as soon as the first bell rang so not everyone had the chance to gather into their cliques for gossip just yet. This contributed greatly to the extra tension in the air. Such tension was noticed by the various teachers that lined the outside of the assembly hall. More than one reprimand was shouted as the occasional student threw a piece of paper here and there. Not to mention the rising and falling of murmurs that drowned out the speaker at times. But besides that, it was a typical morning assembly. Well, almost typical anyway. What seemed like an eternity later, the lunch lady ceased her droning and waddled off of the stage.

"Thank you miss Levenstein. I know this measure is drastic but I'm sure such drastic action will cut down on food related fights in the foreseeable future." said Principal Stern as he reached the podium.

"I've got some Swedish meatballs for her." whispered Switch to Divo as he grabbed his crotch.

"So you like em old and saggy huh. What happened? Couldn't get it up for Cynthia? She wasn't old and saggy enough for ya?" Divo whispered tauntingly.

"She was practically trying to rip it away with her mouth it was that hard! And what did church girl do!? Pray to Jesus that you had some more hidden away somewhere!? Because that's one prayer that ain't gonna be answered." Switch chided in return.

"Hey! Fuck you dude! At least I don't have the entire HIV alphab..." said Divo before he was interrupted.

"Quiet over there! Or it's detention for a week!" shouted one of the teachers.

"Shit!" Divo whispered to himself.

Principal Stern cleared his throat loudly before he continued to speak. "As I was saying, please don't forget to give your parents this week's school newsletter. It is a very important issue that I'm sure they would be greatly interested in reading."

A loud murmur arose briefly before the principal spoke again.

"And now, please put your hands together for sheriff Waxley. He's come to visit our fine school this morning to deliver a rather important message. Pay attention now, you may just learn a thing or two about community spirit and local pride." announced Principle Stern.

The small town sheriff then walked up on stage and approached the podium. He then shook the principals hand with vigour. Dressed in his standard issue uniform, Sheriff Waxley exuded an aura of true authority over the students gathered there that morning. None of them dared interrupt this speaker.

"Good mornin’ students of Salt Bay High! Wonderful morning we havin’ this fine day. I'm sorry to say though, that the news I bring ain't so wonderful. For you see, some rather troubled youngsters have done something very bad on Main Street on Saturday. But let me tell you children that that ain't the worst of it." said sheriff Waxley ominously.

Both Rolo and Switch blanched noticeably. 

 

~~

Corrine nearly fell asleep in her seat. Everyone's voice so so monotone and bland. She couldn't figure out how people could be so unhappy. She figured it would be a rather boring day.

Corrine's head perked up when she heard the sheriff's voice. She had never met him before or even seen him around. She didn't see many police officers either. Corrine had heard about the incident with tires but didn't think it would get too bad. She didn't quite understand what was going on but she decided to listen in for once.

~~

"Unfortunately, in light of these menacing antics, the city council has begun to consider placing a curfew on the youth of the town. That means that anyone under the age of eighteen who's caught on the streets after dark will be taken into the station. Once there they will then be charged with disorderly conduct." continued the sheriff.

Almost in unison the entire student body of Salt Bay High collectively raged in protest. Shouts of accusations of fascism and various swear words were issued from random students throughout the hall. Try as they might, the teachers couldn't console them. One student even called the sheriff a pig and a mutha fucka. That student was promptly removed from the hall by a very angry teacher though. The general murmur of the crowd was even louder than it was before. So loud that not even Principal Stern could be heard. Those in the front row could see a vein popping out of the side of his head. The sheriff himself though, calmly assessed the situation. He realised that the crowd has just received some rather shocking news. Perhaps, he surmised, it would've been more prudent to wait for the commotion to die down a little. But seeing as how he was dealing with high school students, that didn't seem likely. The sheriff knew all too well that if you gave a teenager an inch, they would take a mile. And so he decided to contain the situation the only way he knew how.

"SHUT THE HELL UP YOU MAGGOTS! shouted Sheriff Waxley. The ferocity he gained from his days as a commanding officer on the front line served him well when it came to crowd control. The assembly quickly fell silent.

"That's better. Now don't y'all fret now ya hear? Because the city council doesn't have the power to pass such a motion on a mere whim. They have to put it through a ballot first. So ya'll better be on your best behaviour now. That is, if you want to keep your night time privileges. The motion goes to ballot at the end of the month. I hope I've given y'all a lot to think about." explained the sheriff.

Almost at once the murmur erupted once more. This time around, it was a lot less tense. Many of the students felt that the city council didn't have the balls to go through with such a measure. Others though, were slightly more pessimistic about the whole situation. Both Rolo and Switch felt way too tense to say anything. Chet's head spun from the anxiety he was experiencing at the time. All Divo himself could do was feel forlorn.

"Shit" he said quietly to himself once more.


	7. Chapter 5

Corrine sat near the tulips during her break, sandwich in hand, still pouting about the possible curfew. She thought she had escaped the curfew her father placed on her back in Caramel Cove. Now she has to go through it again? That just wasn't fair!

A few minutes later, Spoon and Ralphie came walking by, noticing Corrine's angry, albeit cute angry face. Ralphie couldn't help but smile.

"Hey Corrine! What's with the frown?" Ralphie asked.

"Oh, hi Ralphie! Just mad about the curfew that might be implemented. I hate it..." Corrine pouted. She crossed her arms and gave a big huff.

Ralphie couldn't help but laugh. "You're so cute! Even when you're mad you make everyone smile!" They grab Corrine's cheeks and squish them, cooing at her doll like face.

"Hey! Cut that out! Let me go!" She whined. She was used to it but it still annoyed her.

"Aw, ok. I'll stop. But yeah, I'm a little upset at the curfew." Ralphie continued.

Spoon grunted. "Oh, Spoon is mad too. We won't be able to hang out on the beach anymore." Ralphie translated. "Let's just be on our best behavior until it passes." Ralphie and Spoon sit next to Corrine, chatting about the new curfew until the bell rang.

~~

"What the shit dude!?" exclaimed Switch.

"Yeah! I mean everything's fucked now!" declared Divo.

"Everything is not fucked now Divo. Just chill the fuck out alright. We've been through worse." placated Chet.

"Like what!?" asked Switch.

"Look the point is that we'll figure something out, we always do. The Salt Bay Turbos can rise above anything! And besides, it goes to ballot. It may not even pass." explained Chet.

"And what if it does!? The only reason why we are even working with that rich weiner is because of those mad shindigs! If this curfew happens then they ain't happenin no more ya dig!?" Divo voiced with frustration.

"Look guys, this ain't a bad thing. My plan is so close to bein’...." Chet began before he was cut off.

"Oh here we go with this fuckin plan again! I'm beginnin’ to think that Rolo was right, that you really don't know what you're doin’. That your rich little wieners stooge. Maybe you don't got what it ta.... accused Switch before he too was cut off.

During Switch’s tirade Chet finally lost his cool. Out of pure rage he decked Switch as hard as he could in the cheek with his right fist. Switch was then launched off of his feet and fell on his back. Luckily, he landed on a freshly tilled garden next to the parking lot. This softened that fall but the punch still hurt like hell. A few of the Salt Bay Turbos ran to Switch to help him onto his feet. Divo just stood there, looking completely and utterly shocked. He couldn't believe what he just saw. Sure, the boys roughhoused a bit every now and then, but this? Divo has been in more than a enough fights to know it when he saw one. This was more than just a fight, Divo surmised, this was a feud. 

"If you don't think I should be leader anymore than take it from me! I fuckin dare you!" threatened Chet menacingly.

Switch merely looked at Chet with a mixture of shock and genuine hurt in his eyes. He had the look of someone who had just been betrayed by one of the few people in the world he trusted. He cupped his bruised and bleeding left cheek with his left hand. The shock of what just happened drowned out the pain, for the most part.

"B-b-boss? What the?" was all that Switch managed to say.

"Oh suck it up Peggy Sue! If you want to know what my plan was, then listen up!" announced Chet.

He stepped to the side of the scene and held his arms open, addressing the entire crew.We're going to destroy Charles Lancaster the douche once and for all! Cuz I've left a little surprise at his clubhouse on Saturday night! I scattered it all over the place where it can't be found! Once the police get in there with a sniffer dog then boom! Bye bye insufferable little shit weasel. But if he wants to not be someone's little prison bitch, then he gots to do whatever the hell we want! Not only that, he's gots to give us whatever we ask. And you all know that that weiner has a lot!"

A murmur of confusion spread amongst the assembled crew of the Salt Bay Turbos. 

"So what you're saying is that your plan was to extort Charles with blackmail, based on some lie that you made up!? A lie that is really really fucking serious!? Like big trouble type shit!? asked Divo incredulously.

"Think about it boys! That arrogant little asshole and pieces of shit like him are the reason why this school is so shit in the first place! Why everyone is so scared shitless of doing anything to stand out. Of doing anything to assert their individuality. Pieces of shit like Charles are the reason why Salt Bay High is a fucking prison! Seriously, fuck that guy!" raged Chet.

"I don't know man, I mean shit!" said Switch.

"Yeah dude, I didn't sign up for this shit. I just wanted to hang out and ride motorcycles and stuff." confessed Divo.

"I case you haven't been paying attention you little nub, we are the baddest gang in town! Guys like us always get what we want! And we are so close to gettin’ everything we ever wanted! If you're too chicken shit to support your brothers on the cusp of glory then you can just g...." lectured Chet.

"Alright! I get it! I'll shut up now." placated Divo.

"Well, as long as we get everything we want then I don't see a problem with it." admitted Switch.

A positive murmur arose amongst the rest of the crew at Switch’s line of reasoning. It seemed that Chet was finally winning everyone back onto his side. His rage and anxiety began to subside.

"We'll go confront him after school and blackmail him then. That little wiener will be begging us for mercy. It's so close now boys! The muthafuckin bonanza!" announced Chet triumphantly.

"I beg to differ!" Charles announced as he approached the parking lot. 

The shock of the arrival of Charles onto the scene was overshadowed by the Chet's shocking revelation alongside the bitter, hateful violence amongst close friends. But still, everyone there was shocked all the same. During this whole fiasco, both Switch and Divo wished for the same thing. They wished that Rolo was there. Where was that big, lovable lug anyway, they wondered. 

 

~~

Ralphie and Spoon were sitting next to Corrine, waiting for the lunch line to shorten. All of them were gossiping about their past week at school and how things have been topsy-turvy since day one. Corrine took about if her tea sandwich and smiled. 

"I like sitting alone with you guys! It's nice and quiet!" Corrine said.

"Heh, yeah... speaking of happy, you've been awfully happy lately. Like, more so than usual. Did something happen this weekend~?" Ralphie teased.

"N-no! Shut up, Ralphie... Corrine blushed.

Ralphie laughed. "So something did happen! So?! Did you go somewhere? Did you go on a date? Tell me!" They begged.

Spoon grunted happily while eating her bag of chips.

Corrine looked around nervously and sighed. She leaned in close and whispered, "Ok, you guys gotta keep this a secret. No one else but you can know since you're my best friends." The couple nod and listen in.

"So, I went to a party on Saturday. And... um... I kissed someone... his name is Rolo..." Spoon spat out her drink. Corrine kissed one of the toughest members of the Salt Bay Turbos?! She couldn't believe her ears. She really was with the Turbos after all. Or at least on their side.

Ralphie was in utter shock. "Oh my god! Really?!" he shouted. Corrine shushed him. 

"SHHHH! No one can know! It's secret! You can't tell anyone!" Corrine pleaded.

Ralphie and Spoon excused themselves to go get their lunch. They still couldn't believe their ears. While Ralphie was sliding over to the these course for their lunch tray, they bumped into something rather... soft? With one look, Ralphie's face went pale. Spoon looked up and for once, she was terrified of someone else.

"S-S-S-Sorry!! I-I didn't mean to bump into you!" Ralphie stuttered.

~~

Rolos train of thought was lost as he bumped into some random girl. He was so startled that he almost fell over backwards after he literally jumped in his boots. She then stammered out some kind of apology rather nervously. The girl looked like a total plain Jane to Rolo. She would be pretty enough for some guys he knew, no doubt, but redheads weren't his type. Her glasses did nothing for him either. Overall though, Rolo surmised, that if was desperate enough then maybe.

"Whatever" said Rolo rather gruffly in response.

But then he saw it. It looked kinda like a masked troll doll with short black hair. It seemed to be staring at him with a cold and empty expression. The like of which creeped Rolo out more than he liked to admit. For once, it was he that was intimidated by someone else. It looked kinda like a picture he once saw. A picture that brought back spooky memories of something mysterious yet sad. A picture of which escaped Rolos memory at the time. And so there he stood, staring at god knows what. Completely oblivious to the fact that Corrine was standing nearby.

 

"I couldn't help but overhear your little disagreement. But it was obvious that you were all talking about me. So I felt that I just had to step in. Hopefully we can clear a few things up between us." Charles explained.

"What the fuck are you doin’ here!?" asked Chet in agitation.

"Watch that language, that's very unbecoming of a member of the New Royals." reprimanded Charles sarcastically.

"Actually Charles good buddy. I'm glad you're here. Us fellas were meanin to have a little chat with you about somethin." said Chet with feigned levity.

"That's quite a happy coincidence. There's something rather important that I wished to share with all of you." responded Charles with genuine levity.

"Oh really!? Well that's too bad. From this moment on, we'll be the ones askin’ the questions. We'll be the ones makin’ all of the demands!" Chet announced confidently.

"And what makes you think that? What gave you such a dumb idea?" asked Charles. He was beginning to enjoy himself.

"We left a little surprise at your clubhouse. Or should I say, all over your clubhouse. For you see little Charlie, we're all really sick and tired of your shit, and we ain't gonna take it no more. So here's what's gonna happen. Either you give us ten million dollars and the deed to your little club or else we'll make a very interesting phone call to the cops. And even if you buy your way into a softer sentence, think of the blow it will be to your precious reputation." threatened Chet.

Charles gave a short but derisive laugh before responding."That's quite a story Chet. But there's one thing that you forgot to add. A very important detail that takes it to that explosive conclusion that we've all been waiting for. And that is that I knew all along. I knew about your secret little scheme Chet. A scheme so secret, that you had to keep from all these clowns. A secret that was too big for your little brain to handle, it seems."

The entire crew of the Salt Bay Turbos were so stunned by the revelations that were revealed that they simply stood in silence. Not a word was uttered by anyone. "What the fuck?" was all that Chet could muster.

It was the moment that Charles waited for. The moment that he patiently bided his time for. A moment that was so beyond satisfying to Charles, that nothing else could even possibly compare. It was the moment when the predator finally caught its prey. When the talons and the teeth sunk into flesh, killing the prey quickly yet mercilessly. Charles himself could barely stifle a bout of maniacal laughter.

"Yes, I knew what you were doing all along. And you wanna know the something really interesting? Not only did I expect you to pull such a foolish and a rather amateurish little grift, I was hoping that you would. Why else would I leave myself vulnerable to the likes of you? You fools really thought that I would trust you all so easily? Not after what happened to the Old Royals I won't. Not in a million years. explained Charles with grandiosity.

"But, how? How the fuck!?" asked Chet incredulously.

"On Sunday I scoured my clubhouse and found some of your magic powder sprinkled here and there, as expected. Some of it well hidden enough and in large enough quantities so as to make it look like I was hoarding some myself. But you see, just like you, people follow the money. And so it wasn't long until I got a confession from my bartender about your little plan. So naturally he wanted to keep his job and not go to jail. And so he sang. He sang his little heart out." Charles explained further. He relished every moment.

"That fucking snitch!" Chet exclaimed aloud.

"What the fuck are you talking about!?" asked Switch.

"Yeah, what the hell Chet?" asked Divo.

"And that's not even the best part. No, the best part was when I followed your gigantic walrus up the mountain road that Saturday night. He led me right to the point where you hid your stash. He and trash girl simply wanted some alone time but little did he knew, it would cost him more than he bargained for. Where is he anyway? It's a shame that he isn't around to hear about how badly he screwed his own friends over. Charles explained with glee.

"He went to Ghost Rock that night didn't he." said Chet with obvious anger in his voice.

"Don't fault him too much Chet. Love makes one do crazy things." Charles said wistfully. 

"Anyway, back to the story. On this stash I found a vague note. The note didn't say much mind you, but it was the final piece of the puzzle. And so with your dubious history, the bartenders confession, the fat lardos stupidity, and that vague note on the stash, it's obvious to all that the onus of the magic powder no longer fell upon me, but instead, upon all of you. That means that I hold your collective balls in my hand. And if you all don't want to be tried as adults, then I suggest we cut all the bullshit of being equally in co-operation with each other and realise the truth. That I own you all now and there's nothing you can do about it. So cry all you like. I can hand your balls over to the police on a whim. So shut the fuck up and do what I say, or I will end you all." threatened Charles dramatically.

Not a word was uttered by a soul, not a single one.

"Shit." Divo whispered quietly to himself, yet again.


	8. Chapter 6

Corrine happily walked over to Spoon and Ralphie, wrapping her arms around the two and laughing.

"Aw, gee! You introduced yourselves without me? That's mean~!" Corrine teased.

Ralphie gave Corrine a forced smile. They were terrified in the inside. This was who Corrine was dating. Ralphie still couldn't believe it. Their heart was racing and their hands were clammy. They could feel their face go pale. Ralphie took of their glasses and cleaned them, obviously feeling uncomfortable. But there was something about his stare that was off putting. He didn't glare at Ralphie, but seemed to be just looking at him, observing him. Ralphie brushed it off, hoping they wouldn't get beat up.

Spoon on the other hand, was ready to strangle Rolo. Her eyes were full of fire. If she stared at the wall for too long, she'd burn a hole. She couldn't believe that one of the main faces of the Salt Bay Turbos was checking out her Ralphie! If it weren't for Corrine and Ralphie in front of her, she would kill Rolo. But Corrine loved Rolo, so maybe she would just have to give him a piece of her mind instead.

"Hehe, if you didn't already know, these are my two best friends! This is Ralphie, and this is Spoon!" She pointed to the two of them. 

Ralphie couldn't stand it any longer. "H-H-Hey Corrine, um, uh... could you get my glasses cleaner? M-My glasses fogged up..." Ralphie asked.

"Sure thing!" Corrine happily skipped away to Ralphie's backpack. Ralphie sighed in relief. 

"L-listen... I don't want any trouble with you... O-O-Ok?" Spoon pushed Ralphie aside and stood on her tiptoes right in front of Rolo. She pulled down her face mask and growled. 

"Leave my Ralphie alone. Got it, tiny?" Her voice was much deeper than expected. This was the first time she had spoken to anyone else besides Ralphie. She put her face mask back on and furrowed her brow. Ralphie stood there in shock. They had never seen Spoon so mad before. Before Ralphie could say anything back, Corrine skipped back to her friends. Corrine handed the green cloth to Ralphie. Ralphie smiled and began cleaning their glasses frantically.

"Hey, hey! Let's all sit together!" Corrine suggested. "Come sit with us, Rolo! It'll be fun!" Ralphie and Spoon looked at each other, then back at Rolo, waiting for his response.

 

~~

"Oh! Uh, hey there Corrine baby." responded Rolo in surprise.

He was so engrossed in the creepiness of the masked girl that he didn't notice that Corrine was standing nearby. Suffice it to say, it was a pleasant surprise. What was she doing with these freaks anyway? Rolo always believed that Corrine was way too much of a cool chick to hang with the loser crowd. But alas, twas a day of startling revelations, more so than he realised at the time. It was then that Corrine introduced the two weirdos as Ralphie and Spoon. Man, even their names are weird.

A moment later, Corrine left for some reason. Rolo knew not why for he paid little attention to what was being said at the time. He just couldn't get past the awkwardness of the situation. The plain Jane redhead looked like she was about to pee herself, but the masked girl. Her expression never changed, not even for a moment. Rolo was almost certain that she neither moved a muscle nor blinked an eye the entire time he was there. And all the while, her penetrating and intimidating stare never left him. All of a sudden, seemingly out of nowhere, the troll girl spoke.

The sound of the masked girls voice was so unexpectedly loud and deep that Rolo let out a slight yelp of surprise. It called him tiny!? What the heck!? But then it hit him. This must be what people call irony. She called him tiny because he was so big. Normally, he would've found such a comment funny if not for this girl and her unrelenting and threatening stare. 

Almost as quickly as she left Corrine returned. She then happily invited him to sit with her and those things. Apparently, according to her, it would be fun. On one hand, Rolo wouldn't be caught dead with such losers. On the other hand though, he didn't want to disappoint Corrine. And so he reluctantly accept her invitation. Rolo hoped against hope that nobody important caught him in the company of the geek patrol.

~~

Corrine nearly dragged Rolo to their table, happily singing. Ralphie walked behind Spoon, holding her hand. Corrine sat next to Rolo while Spoon and Ralphie sat on the other side of the table. Corrine leaned in close to Rolo giggling happily.

Spoon and Ralphie looked at each other awkwardly. They barely knew what to say to make conversation. How could they? If they said anything wrong, Rolo could easily ruin their little to no reputation. And possibly call them out for being slicks, ruining their cover.

Ralphie coughed and smiled. "S-So... um... how long h-have you and Corrine... you know, been together?" They asked quietly, making sure no one would hear. Spoon glared daggers at Rolo while Corrine looked at him, beaming with excitement. Though it was unusual to see him without his friends.

She wanted to ask but she remembered what happened at the beach. Corrine shut her mouth to let him speak.

~~

Rolo did not know how to answer the redheads question. Wasn't their relationship supposed to be a secret? But then again, it could very well be an open secret. Many people saw them leave the party together on Saturday night. And Salt Bay High is notorious for it's gossip after all. Judging by these two though, it didn't seem like they had a very wide social circle anyway. So in a way, it didn't seem like a big deal that they knew anything. And so he decided to answer her question.

"Well, me and Corrine have been together only for a couple of days. She's one cool chick." responded Rolo.

All the while, the masked girls glare never left him.

~~

"Wow, really? But you two seem so close already! You must really like her then, huh? You're really lucky, so take good care of her!" Ralphie swooned, wishing that were the case for them and Spoon. Though in the end, they still got to keep the girl.

Spoon was ready to break her fork. And break Rolo's neck. How dare he converse with her Ralphie?! Spoon sat there, furious.

Corrine blushed at Ralphie's compliment. She covered her face with her hands. "R-Ralphie, please!"

"What? It's not everyday someone cares a lot for you like that." Ralphie took a bite of their food. "You two sheem prey cute togesher." They said with their mouth full of food.

~~

It was in that moment that Rolo realised that this red head girl was actually very easy to talk to. For the first time in a long time, he felt that he didn't need to put on the tough guy act. That he was truly free to be himself. That maybe there was a reason that people hung out with the weird crowd, a damn good reason. As for the masked girls unrelenting death stare. Rolo stopped noticing it after a while. In fact, whenever he did notice it, he had to stifle a giggle. She kinda reminded him of those Hawaiian tiki statues. The ones with the flames in the mouth and the eyes that you would see at luaus. Perhaps she owned a grass skirt, he surmised. And so Rolos attitude towards the redhead and the weird mask girl softened.

"You're completely right uhh Ralphie was it? Oh, and thanks." said Rolo bashfully.

"Has Corrine baby ever told you the story of how we met?" Rolo asked Ralphie.

~~

Corrine took a drink but quickly spat it out. She gave Rolo a look that said "you aren't going to tell them, are you?" She thought that they were supposed to keep their relationship a secret. Then again, she gave away the secret to Spoon and Ralphie. Corrine shut her mouth and decided to listen to what Rolo had to say.

Ralphie started laughing at Spoon, who was covered in water. She let out a breathy sigh and chuckled. Corrine's face was hot with embarrassment. She didn't mean to do it. But she couldn't help it. Spoons face went from a scowl to that of a happy highschool girl. For once she wasn't scowling and looked rather cute.

~~

Rolo observed that Corrine looked rather shocked at his question. He had no idea why she would feel that way. She did tell her two friends about their relationship after all. It seemed that Corrine was still shy, even around her friends. Rolo felt like hugging her but he knew that he shouldn't. Not yet anyway.

Corrine, out of shock, spat her drink all over her weird masked friend. Rolo briefly let out a barking laugh before stopping himself in his tracks. He knew all too well how bashful she was. It was then that the weird masked girls expression finally changed to a more friendly one. She no longer looked like a tiki statue, but more like one of those Japanese porcelain dolls. 

"Oh, uhh forget I said anything." said Rolo awkwardly.

~~

"Hey! You can't back down now! Don't worry we won't tell anyone! I mean, there's no use for this information anyway." Ralphie shrugged. Spoon seemed to be rather interested as well. Corrine kept to herself and hid herself in her hair.

"It couldn't be as bad as how Spoon and I met. Now spit it out!"

~~

"Well uhh I dunno, Corrine?" pleaded Rolo.

This Ralphie girl really put him on the spot. Rolo felt like he said something he shouldn't have, despite everything. How could he have misread the situation so badly? Maybe it wasn't him. Maybe he was overthinking things. Rolo always thought that all girls loved talking about how they met their boyfriends. It seems that Corrine was not like other girls in many respects.

"I think she can tell the story better than me. That's if you're up for it. You don't have to if you don't want to baby girl, I mean Corrine." offered Rolo.

Darn it, why was this so awkward?

~~

"Y-you do it... I'll just mess everything up..." Corrine stuttered. As if things weren't embarrassing enough. Although it was a rather cute story, she didn't want to say anything. She removed her curly hair and and took a deep breath.

"Well, we first met at their clubhouse. Then I couldn't stop thinking about him. Then, um, we walked up to ghost rock. Um... then we uh... and that's how we got together!" What in the world was she saying?! What possessed her to say something?! She felt even more embarrassed than before. But somewhat relieved. Something in her just floated away.

"Aw~! Corrine that's so cute! But I want details. Rolo, why don't you go?" Ralphie asked again. Spoon sat there, enjoying the entertainment that the three brought to the table.

~~

"Well, if you insist." said Rolo with a tone of feigned resignation.

And so he told the tale of how he met Corrine outside of the clubhouse. Of all the killer jokes he said. The fact that many of them were Switch and Divos was a fact that he consciously omitted. And of course, the tale of Ghost Rock. But out of respect for Corrines modesty, he avoided delving into the finer details. He even told them about his fight with his friends and their little date up in the lighthouse. Needless to say, it made quite the tale. Rolo could've sworn that Spoon, the weird masked girl, batted not a single eyelid during his entire story. 

"And so I have no idea what the Hell is going on. But I like to think that me and Corrine are havin’ fun, so yeah." declared Rolo resolutely. 

Wow, he said more than he intended to. Rolo couldn't help it. Everything just kinda spilled out of him. Surprisingly, it felt good. It felt really good. 

~~

Corine was curled up into a ball squealing. She couldn't believe he said all of that! In perfect detail too! Ralphie sat there, giggling to themself. Spoon seemed satisfied with the story. 

Ralphie whispered into Spoon's ear, the two of them giggling. Corrine cocked her head but shrugged it off. Corrine gently leaned against Rolo and sighed happily. She kept her affection as subtle as possible. It was hard to keep their relationship a secret. But it was worth it to have a boyfriend like Rolo.

~~

Rolo wondered what those two girls were whispering to each other about in such a giddy way. But then he quickly lost interest when Corrine leaned up against him like that. She felt so warm and so soft. But he dare not do a thing lest people got the wrong idea. Unbeknownst to them at the time though, their affection for each other was so obvious that it could be seen from space. It was so hard to keep a relationship secret, it seemed. Rolo wished he didn't have to. 

"So uhh, how did you two meet?" asked Rolo in a vain attempt to cut the tension.

~~

"Well, back in fifth grade, I fell flat on my face during lunch. I landed right in my pudding and became a laughing stock. Then Spoon came along and helped me clean up. After awhile we started to talk, and now she's officially my girlfriend! It's been... two or three years now? Since freshmen year I think. I wouldn't have any other girl in the world!" Ralphie kissed Spoon's cheek and her face went hot like fire.

"Aw~, how cute!" Corrine sighed. They were quite the couple.

~~

"So you're telling me that, you two are...." Rolo attempted to ask. 

He just couldn't finish his question. The very idea that two girls could "go at it" with each other was an idea that Rolo found quite alien to say the least. But then again, he also found the idea very intriguing. He imagined a scene where two girls who looked exactly like Corrine were making out with each other. Sensually caressing each others femininity with far more skill and finesse than any man ever could. Suffice it to say, Rolo began to feel really excited about the idea. He wished to know more. 

"How does that work!?" exclaimed Rolo. 

His voice was a little too loud for the intimacy of the conversation as well as the proximity of those with whom he was conversing. Rolo silently cursed both his rowdiness and his uncouthness. He hoped that he didn't humiliate Corrine too much. Lord knows he did more than enough of that for the day.

~~

Ralphie looked at each other and back at Rolo.

"You know, like it normally does? Don't you know how it works?" Ralphie stated matter of factly. 

Spoon nodded in agreement. They didn't know what Rolo was thinking about. Did he really not understand how it worked? Ralphie decided to educate poor Rolo until they saw Corrine sitting there with a very confused look on her face. She had no idea what they were talking about. Keeping their trap shut would be the best idea to preserve her innocence.

~~

"Well yeah! Of course I do! I ain't a doofus or nothin." asserted Rolo awkwardly. 

He then gave a little chuckle so as to seem like he was joking. The truth was that he wasn't joking at all. He was being deadly serious. Rolo curiosity flared up with a vengeance. He wished that they'd just spill the beans already. That they would tell him all the juicy details that he was dying to hear. But alas, he was with Corrine. He knew all too well that such talk embarrassed her beyond belief. And so Rolo wisely withheld his many questions regarding Ralphie and Spoons more intimate moments.

"Well I gotta say Corrine baby. Your friends are a Hell of a lot cooler than I thought." Rolo complemented kindly.

Just like clockwork the school bell rang. A rather abrupt end to an astonishingly interesting lunchtime. Rolo himself felt a little peeved, but at the same time, a little relieved. They all had such an interesting talk yet there were many opportunities for staggering amounts of awkwardness. Despite it all Rolo felt that he wouldn't mind sitting with them all again. If only that were possible.

~~

The couple bid them a farewell and let the cafeteria, making their way to their next class. They were seen holding hands and laughing at each other. Most people would call them a perfect couple. 

Meanwhile Corrine was trying to think of what her three friends were talking about. Something about how something worked. Was Rolo making something? She tugged on Rolo's shirt.

"Rolo, Rolo, what were you talking about with Ralphie and Spoon?"

~~

"Well you see Corrine. It's kinda like the birds and the bees. But instead there's two birds. And they do a special dance I think. And the beauty of the animal kingdom......" Rolo explained before trailing off into silence.

"Look Corrine baby. I gotta get somethin’ from my locker real quick. You just go off to class already ok? You don't wanna be late or nothin." said Rolo rather hastily.

Without another word, he bounded off awkwardly. All the while he was glad that he was able to evade even more awkwardness.

~~

Corrine looked at Rolo confused. Why were they talking about Ralphie and Spoon having sex? And what was with the two birds thing? Corrine started out more confused than when she started. But she didn't want to be late for her class. She pondered while walking to her next class.

While sitting in her algebra class, she strayed away from her work to figure out what Rolo was talking about. Two birds... Ralphie and Spoon.... Birds and Bees.... oh no. Everything made sense now. This whole time Rolo thought Ralphie was a girl. Boy, did she have some news for him. After school she would have to tell him.


	9. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for my absence. I got busy with theater work. But I posted two chapters instead of one. So hopefully you enjoy some heartful moments and moments that might answer some of the questions you’ve been dying to know.

Hey Rolo! Wait!" yelled Switch as he ran to catch up.

"Huh? What is it?" responded Rolo.

He turned around to see a very serious expression on Switch's face. Rolo thought it odd for such an expression was very much out of character for Switch. Knowing him, it was probably something pervy and embarrassing. In light of recent developments within the gang though, Rolo wasn't so sure that was the case this time. And so he began to feel concerned as Switch struggled to find the words that he was looking for. Was there really a good way to explain such things? If there was, Switch could hardly fathom it.

"Spit it out man! What's wrong!? Is Chet still pissed at me? Cuz if that's the case then I don't give a flyin fu...." declared Rolo.

"You got it wrong man, so wrong. It's worse than that. I mean dude, we are so fucked!" said Switch in an uncharacteristically whiny way.

"Calm down dude alright? Just take a deep breath, and tell me what I need to know." soothed Rolo.

Switch made a very audible gulp before commencing his summary of all that had transpired. "Alright man. Don't freak out alright!? I can't stress that enough! Here's what happened at lunch while you were gone." Switch began.

Rolo stood there, listening to Switches report of all that had transpired between Charles and the gang. About Chet's secret little conspiracy and how it landed them all in hot water. How Charles apparently secretly manipulated Chet subtly in order to quote "Hold the Salt Bay Turbos by their collective balls". And all the while, Rolos mouth hung open ever so slightly in a slack manner. The other students around them were too busy walking home from school to pay any attention to the exciting developments in the world of the Turbos and the New Royals. Rolos anger was beyond boiling point.

"And that's about the long and short of it." said Switch. He then giggled at his own referential little joke.

"I'm going to kill him! And that weasly little Chet to! I knew he was no better than that scumbag little worm! They're both dead! I'm gonna shove my fist so far up their...." ranted Rolo before being cut off by Switch yet again. 

"Shhh quiet! We can't move against him! He's got dirt on us! If we do anythin’ to piss him off then that's it for us. Just calm down alright!?" said Switch frantically.

Rolo sighed deeply before he spoke. He was relatively more calm now. "Alright. For the good of the gang, I'll keep it cool. But one thing's for sure though, I will have my revenge. And you better believe that includes both of em!" he declared.

"Yeah man. I totally feel ya on that one. Damn it Chet. You just had to play his pussy ass little games didn't you. I looked up to you man." said Switch mournfully. 

"So what happens now?" Rolo enquired.

"I guess we just gotta wait. That's all we can do these days." said Switch. 

~~

Antonio stood in the junkyard, waiting for the slicks to come. It was nearly midnight and no one had shown up for him. It must have been a hoax. There was no way a gang would leave him hanging. He decided to leave and forget that it never happened. Until he heard a clang. He quickly turned around to see a group of misfits standing in a row, holding bats and metal poles.

"Took you long enough." Antonio said. He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

Hushed whispers filled the junkyard.

"Welcome. Are you ready for initiation?" One said, walking forward.

"Uh, ok." Antonio walked toward the boy with the eye patch. 

"Now, listen closely..." The boy whispered into Antonio's ear. Antonio was taken back by what the boy said. He had to do that in order to be an official member? Normally, this wouldn't be a challenge for him, but after what they said about him, it might be. He was going to have to train again in order to win. He nodded and left the junkyard.

~~

It was midnight when she finally got home. Such a regular occurrence disrupted Divos sleep, like always. His mother was out again with yet another guy. It seemed like there was a new one every night. How many people were there in the town of Sea Salt Bay anyway? She must've gone through most of the town already. It wouldn't surprise him the least if she was on her second round through. The truth was though that Divo knew not what his mother did every night. What he did know was that she would always come home blind drunk. Sometimes he would discover her passed out on the front lawn every other morning. Occasionally Divos mother sported a black eye. Whenever he expressed any concerned though she would screech at him to back off. She would even throw a bottle if she was holding one. Such was life at home for Divo. In such an environment he had no choice but to grow up before his time. To always be responsible for anything and everything. To always be the straight thinking one. If he wasn't going to take on that role then who would? There was nobody else. His father was long gone. In fact he had no idea who his father was. There's a good chance that he will never know. Divo has long since made his peace with that outcome though, for he was his own man.

After that grand confrontation between Charles and Chet at school that day, the future of the Salt Bay Turbos seemed bleak. They may not even be the Salt Bay Turbos anymore. Charles could do with them whatever he liked. He had them all by their "collective balls" after all. Even before that, when Chet lost his cool and decked Switch. He had never seen the boss act out like that before. He must've still been shaken up by his fight with Rolo. Divo, for the life of him, just couldn't fathom why everything went so wrong. No catalyst came to mind, no matter how much he thought about it. The anxiety of it all kept him from falling back to sleep. 

He could still hear his mother shambling along the hallway outside his bedroom door. She walked sideways into the hallway walls every couple of steps or so. She was either on her way to the bathroom or to her bedroom. Divo prayed that it was the former. Vomit and piss stains were hard to clean out of woolen quilts. But if he didn't do it, then nobody did. 

Divo sat up in his bed resolutely. He just didn't care anymore. A lifetime of doing right by the people around him has gifted him with naught to show for it. Just a drunken whore of a mother and a broken gang which just so happened to be controlled by an asshole because it was led by an idiot. Divo felt so mad angry about what Chet did. They were a gang yeah but that little conspiracy he pulled on his own was way over the line. At the end of the day though, Divo realised, it was because Chet tried to beat Charles at his own game. It was all because Chet wanted to be like Charles, simple as that. A greedy and manipulative little weasel who had not a single real friend in the world. That's what Chet wanted to be. The saddest thing of all though, was that Chet used to be so much more. Divo shook his head in disappointment.

He heard what sounded like a door open and close down the hallway. It was fairly closeby so it must've been the bathroom. A moment later, he heard those familiar sounds of heaving and retching. Divo silently thanked whatever maker there was that his wretch of a mother drunkenly shambled her way into the bathroom this time. An easier mess to clean. Of course he did try to help her on many occasions but again, she would swat him away and screech. Her screeching was unintelligible most of the time but sometimes he could make out ramblings about his father. Of how he looked exactly like him and how much it pissed her off because he was an asshole, apparently. She was a difficult woman to deal with, no doubt. But who else was there? Only another year until he was free. 

At the moment though, he no longer cared about anything. Possible curfew be damned. He needed to be somewhere that reminded him of the good times. There was only one place he could think of though. And that was underneath the boardwalk. There was a chance that eh would encounter a couple of the other guys down there as well. He doubted it though. That suited him just fine. He needed to be alone. His mood was chaotic and his thoughts led him to dark places. A breath of fresh air and a trip down memory lane would do him a world of good, Divo surmised. 

And so he opened his bedroom window and climbed out into the backyard. His house was only a few blocks away from the bay in one of the poorer and more modest suburbs. Despite it all though, he was glad that he lived in an area that was relatively close to the bay. Sometimes he could even hear the sound of the sea from his bedroom window. He then set off on foot towards the bay. Hopefully, nobody else was going to be there.

~~

Lenny stood at the doorframe of his father's room. The room was gloomy and covered in dust. Their father had been gone for about a month now. Ever since they moved, he took the first chance he got to go to his hometown in Germany. He said something about visiting his family for awhile and making sure they were safe. Or something along the lines of that. Lenny knew he just wanted to get away from the stress of running the restaurants. 

Lenny took a deep breath and stepped inside his father's room. It smelled of German beer and cologne. The bed sheets were a traditional style of German. Everything was German with this man. From his accent to his the way he walked, he was German. 

He took a seat on his bed and sighed. Lenny pulled out an old box from underneath the bed and took out an old family photo album. He opened the first page. Four pictures with the words "our newest addition to the family!" Written in the middle. His father was crying in the background while his mother smiled happily. He flipped the page. There were pictures of Lenny as a toddler, covered in spaghetti and meatballs, while another picture showed him banging pots and pans on the kitchen floor. 

He flipped the page. His mother was in the hospital again, holding another baby. The caption at the bottom said "Meet your new baby brother!" Lenny was holding a sleeping baby Charlie. Another picture of the two together was them sleeping on the couch. Then there were pictures of just Charlie, eating ice cream while half asleep. Charlie did sleep a lot as a child.

Lenny flipped the page again. This time a picture of Lenny, Charlie, and now Antonio sleeping in a hospital bed. Lenny had broken his arm the day before Antonio was born from slipping and falling in the kitchen. "Our three (tired) boys!" Said the caption at the bottom. The next picture of Antonio was him covered in red nail polish and his mother's make up from head to toe. He looked rather confused as to why the camera was on him.

Lenny turned the page. Oliver was in his crib, fast asleep. "Our family keeps growing!" Said the caption. Lenny felt face his eyes sting. Oliver was playing in the old houses library in the next picture. His eyes were cross eyed, with one eye a more green color. The picture below showed him with his thick, round glasses. 

Lenny turned the page. His eyes were red and puffy. Two babies were next to each other holding hands. One was smiling while the other not so much. "Two bundles of joy!" Read the caption. The two were in every single photo together. One smiling and one not. Always hand in hand. Jacob and Andy were always together, no matter where they were. They were probably off causing mischief right now.

Lenny turned the page. A much chubbier baby was in his mother's arms at the hospital. His father's face seemed happy, yet disappointed. "Our new munchkin!" The caption read. There were no other baby pictures of Wilson except for a picture with his new glasses, reading Sherlock. His face seemed so concentrated on his book. The picture next to it was him sitting next to Oliver, asleep reading the a book together. 

Lenny wiped his face and turned the page. Everyone was around their mother, staring at the baby girl in her arms. Their father was crying. The caption said "Our princess." The photo album was filled with pictures of Corrine playing with her dolls and coloring. Her parents were holding her tightly while she played with hand-me-down toys. A family picture of everyone was smack dab in the middle of the photo album. "The Kelley's" was written at the bottom. Everyone was so happy. 

Lenny flipped the page. There was nothing left except for blank pages. He turned and turned and turned but there was nothing left. He got to the last two pages. There was another family photo except their mother was missing. They weren't as happy as before. Corrine smiled on like nothing was happening while everyone wore black clothes. Each of them holding a marigold flower and a which lily. Corrine's were in her hair.

Lenny couldn't stop crying as he flipped to the very last page. It was a wedding photo of his parents. His mother was wearing traditional garbs while his father wore a plain suit and tie. Both of them were happily kissing. "Adler and Mawi. Together forever, until death do us part." Was on the bottom of the photo. Lenny closed the book and went back to his room, sobbing. What happened to their happy family? Why was everyone so distant? Lenny couldn't help but cry harder. Charlie heard the noise and came into Lenny's room. He sat next to him and gave him a well deserved hug. Poor Lenny needed some comfort anyway.

~~

Off in the distance, a solitary light could be seen. As Divo approached the light he could make out a figure. It leaned on one of the wooden pillars that supported the boardwalk. The pillar itself was near the churning waves of the incoming tide. Judging by both the pillar itself as well as the pose in which the silhouette stood, Divo quickly figured out who it was. He had a lot of nerve to show his face around here. After all the shit that he pulled. How dare he hang out in the Salt Bay Turbo hangout spot! Divo felt outraged at the supposed audacity. He decided to give this guy a piece of his mind.

When he saw the look on his face though, all feelings of anger dissipated. Divo had never seen him like this before. A look of complete and utter defeat etched upon his face. Chet had never looked worse than he did then. Bloodshot and sunken red eyes now replaced his steely grey ones. The effect was haunting as well as heartbreaking. Chet faced Divo but he said not a word. He acted like he was bracing himself for some kind of punishment. Divo felt nothing but pity and sorrow.

"Why did you do it man?" asked Divo gravely.

Chet sighed deeply then took a drag on his cigarette before replying to Divos question. "I dunno Divo. I just couldn't take it anymore ya dig. I guess I just wanted the Salt Bay Turbos to be more than just a plaything for the rich snobs of this town. I wanted us to be what we always wanted to be. The baddest gang in town." explained Chet.

"No! You wanted to be like Charles! And you dragged us all down with you because of it!" shouted Divo.

"I guess you hit the nail on the head with that one good buddy. My head was so far up my own ass that I couldn't even see it for myself. I don't expect you guys to forgive me. I just hope that you'll come to understand me, even just a little. Who am I kiddin, I can barely understand myself." Chet confessed.

"Chet." said Divo pityingly. He paused for a moment before speaking further. "We ain't a bunch of clueless dunderheads. We know how hard it must be to lead us all. We just wish that you had enough respect for us to let us in on the ground floor of your little conspiracies." said Divo.

"I know. I don't mean no disrespect Divo. I respect you guys more than anyone else out there. We are brothers for life. I just, wanted to be the leader that you guys deserved." said Chet.

"But you were Chet. You were exactly what we needed. With you in charge, nobody messed with us. Sure, we had to do some lame favours for the rich snobs in the past yes. But for the most part, we were free to be as bad as we wanted to be." lectured Divo.

"I guess I lost sight of things. I lost touch with our roots. Look if you guys don't want me to lead anymore then I'm totally cool with that! If yous want me to leave the gang completely then yeah, I deserve that to!" ranted Chet.

"It's not up to me Chet. It's up to all of us brothers. But I promise you Chet, you will not escape judgement." warned Divo ominously.

"Nor would I want to. And Divo, thanks for being a good friend." said Chet sincerely.

"Whatever." dismissed Divo coldly.


	10. Chapter 10

Oliver was in the kitchen trying to catch up with all of his orders while Wilson was taking orders as fast as possible. For some reason, after lunch time was the busiest time for the diner. And the two must unreliable brothers were working there. They were lucky their father wasn't here to see this mess.

Wilson's hands were full of food trays. He placed two down in front of a family of customers. He was on his way to deliver his next batch when a rather rude customer stuck his leg out. One minute Wilson is walking and the next he's flat on his face covered in milkshakes and maple syrup. A few of the customers laughed at Wilson's fall.

Oliver left the kitchen to help Wilson clean himself. He felt so bad for his younger brother. He was always treated worse than the other kids his age. Always pushed around and beat up because of his weight or asthma. Oliver took Wilson to the bathroom and cleaned him up. Although sticky and maple syrup smelling, Wilson was all clean.

Oliver returned to the outside and felt that something is off. He felt that he was forgetting something. He took a few big whiffs and smelled smoke. He turned around to see the kitchen was on fire!

"OH GOD NOT AGAIN." Oliver rushed into the kitchen to put out the fire.

Lenny and Charlie were returning from the supermarket with ingredients when they noticed the smoke billowing from the boardwalk. They sighed and wondered how the two boys messed up badly this time.

~~

Oh my, you are a big fellow aren't you." remarked the tailor.

"Yeah." grunted Rolo.

"This one is going to be some extra work. I hope you understand that I will have to raise my fee." said the tailor rather meekly.

"Fine, do whatever you need to do. I just want all of them in uniform by this weekend." demanded Charles.

"As you wish young master." said the tailor before giving a slight respectful bow. He was then escorted out of the room by one of Charles' many butlers. An awkward and strained silence was left in his wake.

Rolo could hardly remember the last time he was in for a fitting. There was that one time though that he wished to forget. Though in truth, that other fitting was nowhere near as humiliating as this one. On the boss's orders he was to report to Lancaster Manor that very afternoon after school. It was a very frosty reunion for he and Chet to say the least. Barely a word was spoken between the two. During school that day they actively avoided each other. Whenever they had no choice but to be in the same space they coldly ignored one another. And on it went. But at the end of the day, he couldn't bear to go against Chet and the Salt Bay Turbos. Not when they needed him the most. And so with great reluctance he continued to follow Chets orders. Rolo just wished that one of his friends was there with him. Chet did tell him that he was to report with only a handful of other nondescript Turbos members. Nevertheless, as tough as Rolo was, he couldn't help but feel uneasy at such a strange request.

Charles organised for Chet, Rolo, Switch, and Divo to report in on separate days. He knew that those four were the closest of friends. He also knew that they had the most sway over the group. And so Charles thought it most wise to split them up whilst slowly bringing them all into his less than humble abode. Though Charles had them all in his iron grip, he didn't quite trust them just yet. It takes time to break an animal after all. Especially animals such as these.

They all stood in the middle of the grand foyer of Lancaster Manor. The marble floor upon which they stood was polished to perfection. The intricate yet simple geometric patterns upon the floor bespoke both luxury and taste. The walls themselves were crafted from a combination of oak and mahogany. Various portraits and landscape paintings hung upon the walls. Two large stair cases ran along the opposite walls of the foyer to joint the upper walkway above. Some rather fetching marble statues and large vases stood in the corners of the cavernous room. When one spoke, one's voice echoed off of the walls. There were three large double doors in the middle of each wall. The led to areas the Turbos were forbidden to go. And so they conducted all their business in the grand foyer.

"You, lardo." said Charles as he approached Rolo.

"Yes...... sir?" said Rolo in an obviously strained way.

Charles grinned smugly to himself before speaking further. He loved every second of this. "You look disgusting. Lose some weight you fat tub of shit. I can't have a land whale like you as a servant. So humiliating." he stated rather coldly.

Rolo had never wanted to hit someone harder than he did just then. Truly it was the most self-control he had ever exercised over himself. The look on Rolos face betrayed the extreme amounts of anger, sadness, and humiliation that he felt. He was so angry that his face burned and slight tears welled up in his eyes. His breathing quickened to a point where he began to feel light headed. His breathing was very loud and forced. The handful of other Salt Bay Turbos with him felt uneasy upon noticing his strain. Of course none of this escaped Charles' notice. Charles himself could barely hold back a bout of evil laughter.

"You know what? You won't be a servant after all. I have a special task for you. Report back here tomorrow afternoon. Is that understood?" Charles asked with levity.

"Yes sir." Rolo replied through gritted teeth.

~~

Corrine brushed her fingers over the books in her bookshelf, indecisive as to what to read. A navy blue book caught her attention. She pulled out the book and took a good look at it. The gold words "Cendrillion" was in cursive on the cover. A small round carriage was at the bottom of the book, covered in vines and something red.

Corrine had sworn she had read every book in her personal library. Overtaken with curiosity, Corrine decided to give it a read. She could have just taken it from Wilson or Oliver on accident. She sat in her desk, turned the lamp on and began to read. She flipped to a random page towards the beginning to make it interesting.

_The poor girl knew she had no choice, for the curse would kill her and the rest of her family. She stepped into the castle and began her search for the prince. The ballroom was full of elegant women and handsome men, all enjoying themselves and dancing in the marble hall. The was a buffet near the window full of exotic foods the girl had never seen before._

_She needed to work fast, for the curse would take effect at midnight. She asked around the ballroom for the prince yet no one had seen him either. Some said that he ditched the ball to have his own fun. Others said that he was ill and wanted to rest. Whatever the reason was, the girl needed to find him fast. A short time remained for the girl to break the curse._

_Finding no information on the prince, the girl decided to find clues in the castle. She snuck away from the ballroom and into the prince's room. Nothing was there except for a few clothes on the ground and messy bed. The girl closed the door and continued her search._

  
Corrine yawned and skipped ahead a few pages.

_The girl weeped on the balcony. The curse would soon kill her and her family, and there was nothing she could do. She only had a half an hour left until she would rot away._   
_"Whats wrong?" A voice called out behind her. She turned around to see it was him! It was the prince! Her heart skipped a beat._   
_"Are you lonely? Would you like to dance with me? I hate to see a pretty girl cry." Said the prince. The girl nodded and took the prince's hand, waltzing around the balcony. The prince and her talked and danced and laughed, enjoying each others company._

_Her nice time was interrupted by the gongs of a bell chime. It was midnight!She knew what she had to do. But did she have the strength to do it? It was the third gong. She had to decide fast! Was she going to do it? It was the seventh gong. She had to or her family would perish! It was the twelfth gong._

_The girl let her body move on its own. It took her a few moments to realize what she had done. She layed there, crying. A bloody knife in her hand and a dying prince next to her. The prince couldn't understand why the girl had done this. He spent his last moments looking into the girls eyes, wonder what he had done to deserve such a fate._

_The girl took the knife and tossed it-_

  
Corrine slammed the book closed. She couldn't bear to read anymore. She crept down the stairs and placed the book back into the family library. She climbed back into her bed and nearly cried herself to sleep.


	11. Chapter 9

Rolo walked the halls of Salt Bay High alone once more. The previous day he wished to be alone, for he could barely contain his anger. He wanted to avoid Corrine so as not to reveal to her his mean side. Admittedly though, he had done it once before. But there was nobody else around to feel the brunt of his anger but her. The last thing Rolo wanted was to take his anger out on the one girl he loved more than anyone else in the world. This time was different though, for it was not anger he felt most keenly, but loneliness. And so Rolo decided to seek out Corrine and her two weird but cool friends. 

He walked into the cafeteria and scanned the crowd. He had trouble seeing through all the people milling about. They could be there for all he knew. So there he stood, in the middle of the cafeteria, searching for his love.

"Corrine! Where are you!" Rolo called out.

~~

Corrine perked up when she heard her name. SHe told up in her seat and looked around the cafeteria. She spotted a very familiar face in a crowd of people. Corrine waved her hand happily and called out to Rolo.

~~

Rolo looked around frantically for Corrine. With each passing second he became increasingly more agitated. He just had to see Corrine, he needed to. He wanted to forget everything. All of it. His heart raced faster and faster the more agitated he became. All of a sudden, he collided with another student. His massive body spun with surprising speed. The momentum of his gut alone was enough to launch an unsuspecting person off of their feet. The collision sent a whole tray of food flying everywhere. Milk and hotdog buns went flying all over the place. The kid himself fell flat on his behind. All the nearby students stopped in their tracks and turned their heads. All eyes were on them.

The student, no older than fourteen, looked up at Rolo with intense fear in his eyes. The surrounding students began to whisper amongst themselves whilst watching the scene unfold. A few giggles and laughs were heard here and there.

"Shut up! Shut the hell up!" yelled Rolo.

He then began to storm out of the cafeteria. On the way though he slipped on a puddle of milk. His left foot flew from right under him , sending him falling backwards. Rolo fell squarely on his back. The impact winded him momentarily. The laughter of the surrounding students intensified. An enraged Rolo got back onto his feet rather quickly for a guy of his weight and size. He then trudged off in a huff, daring not to show any more rage than he already had. On the way out, he heard someone yell loser as he left through the door. Rolo contained his rage and walked even faster than before.

~~

Corrine grabbed her things and rushed out of the lunch room, slipping on the milk herself but not falling. Poor Rolo must have been extremely embarrassed! She chased after Rolo down the hall. She clung to his arm, cuddling close to him.

"Rolo! There you are! What happened are you ok?! You aren't hurt are you? You could have seriously hurt yourself! Oh, I hope you are alright..." she chirped.

Corrine was still rather spooked from Rolo raising his voice. But she wasn't going to let that ruin her time with Rolo! She hadn't seen him since the day before yesterday!

 

~~

“C-Corrine I." stammered Rolo.

All of a sudden, a torrent of emotion swept over him. It was like the floodgates were let open. The sight of Corrines face and the sound of her sweet voice pushed him over the edge. Tears welled up in his eyes in great big globs then began to cascade down his cheeks. His breathing became short and strained. A moment later he began to sob. Try as he might, he could not stop himself. With each passing breath his sobs became louder and more exaggerated. Rolo found himself sinking to his knees. He buried his face in his hands and wept loudly. Even his great big hands couldn't hold back his tears. He no longer cared about anything anymore, not even his life. All he cared about was Corrine.

~~

Corrine got on her knees and cradled his face.

"Oh my gosh! You must be really hurt! Let's get you to the nurse's office! I-I'll help you there!" Corrine hugged him tightly. She didn't quite realize that Rolo wasn't is physical pain, but emotional and mental pain. Oblivious to what has been going on, she tried helping Rolo stand up.

"It's ok! Everything is going to be ok!" She said, trying to calm Rolo down. She tried to calm herself down too. It wasn't normal for Rolo to cry like this. Or cry at all for that matter. Something must have been seriously wrong for him to lose his tough guy attitude.

~~

It was quite a lovely day outside. The sun was shining in the clear blue sky. The birds sang and called to and fro with vigour and melody. The slight breeze that cooled the air also carried an unmistakable scent of hydrangeas. Beneath the shade of a fir tree sat both Rolo and Corrine. There they sat, with not another soul in sight. A few stray leaves drifted down onto Rolos head but he cared not. He was just glad that he finally had someone to talk to. It was such a perfect place to talk. It was in a rather vaguely frequented and oft forgotten part of the schoolyard. Nobody dared sit near the window to the teachers lounge. Today was an exception though, for exceptional things were afoot. Rolo let fly his vulnerability with not a care in the world. To him, nothing mattered anymore. The worst scenario imaginable had came to pass. Charles had the ability to boss the Salt Bay Turbos around as much as he liked and now the kids in school have lost all respect for them. Nothing mattered anymore to Rolo. Strangely enough though, he felt at peace with that. Just as long as Corrine was there by his side. Such a revelation gave Rolo more strength than he had ever felt before. For he finally realised for himself that love conquers all.

Rolo explained to Corrine all that had transpired within the gang. About the grand confrontation between Charles and Chet. About the threat of blackmail that hung over all their heads that forced the Turbos to do Charles' bidding. Of how humiliated he felt when he was insulted so harshly by Charles at his manor. Of how downright violated he felt when he knew he couldn't defend himself in any way. Of how truly small he felt when he realised only a few minutes prior that the other students have all lost respect for him and possibly the crew itself. All of it. 

"Ya know what Corrine baby? It was never supposed to be like this. That's the thing that upsets me the most. Not what Charles has done but what we let happen. What we let ourselves become." Rolo explained forlornly.

"We were never really an outlaw gang. You knew that right? I mean come on! We're just a bunch of mixed-up high school punks. We have fun but we never took ourselves too seriously. At least, we didn't used to." said Rolo longingly. 

"Have I ever told you the story of how the Salt Bay Turbos formed in the first place?" Rolo asked Corrine enthusiastically.

~~

Corrine looked at Rolo with her puffy red eyes. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. How could that rich kid Charles do such awful things to her friends?! She was going to give him a stern talking to! No one could say no to her! But she wish she could actually help them in some way. No one should live their life in fear of someone else like Charles.

Corrine laid down on Rolo's lap and sighed. 

"Tell me how you all met up. I need a good story."

 

~~

Rolo began to clear his throat. This tale brought back some very fond memories for him. Memories of a much simpler time. A time when being bad merely meant not giving a damn, instead of literally being bad. A time when Rolo felt like he truly belonged. A time before all this petty and manipulative backstabbing. It was a special time for sure. Rolo was more than happy to revisit such a time in his memories. Corrine of all people deserved to know the truth of things. 

"Alright little lady. I'm going to give you a little history lesson ya dig?" Rolo announced.

"It all began back in the bad old days. When all there was in this school were a bunch of rich squares who thought that their shit didn't stink. You were either a rich snob or you were nothin. But there was this group of kids who get it the worst. Those kids were the poorer and less able ones. The "retards" as they were often called. Those kids were the untouchables. The lower class of this place. No matter what you did, they could never be accepted here. And the bullying that those kids suffered. Man, the shit that happened back then. Those assholes made Charles the wiener look like a saint in comparison. There were stories Corrine, terrible stories. Stories about kids being bashed by groups for no reason while nearby adults did nothin’ to stop it. Stories of guys and chicks getting sexually assaulted, and even raped. But still, not a thing was done about it. And do you wanna know why Corrine? It's the oldest reason in the world, money. With money, one had power, and with power, one had control, and when one had control, nothin’ could stop ya. And let me tell you baby girl, absolute power corrupts absolutely." explained Rolo gravely.

"You gettin it baby girl?" Rolo asked in earnest.

~~

Corrine nodded solemnly. 

"Yeah, I get it. But what's going to happen to you now? What if Charles hurts you? I couldn't live with myself if he did that! Rolo, please be careful! Just stay on his good side!" Corrine sprang up and hugged Rolo tightly.

"I'll get you out of there! I'll be your knight in shining armor! I'll get everyone out of there and beat that nasty Charles! If only I knew what to do..." Corine sighed and let go of Rolo. There had to be a way Corrine could help Rolo and the gang, but how?

~~

"Aww, that's sweet." Rolo replied whilst he hugged Corrine back.

She was as warm and as soft as ever. Rolo missed her hugs, more than Corrine realised. He wished that they never ended. That they could just sit beneath the fir tree and just hug for the rest of the day. The warmth of Corrines soft body combined with the subtle subtle scent of her perfume was like heaven for Rolo. But alas, her embrace ended as quickly as it began.

"You don't have to worry about me Corrine baby. Like I said, as long as you're by my side, anything is possible. I'm sure the fellas and I will come up with a plan eventually. Thanks for cheering me up though. You made me feel so much better. I feel like I can fight the world now!" Rolo stated happily.

"But I think you should know the truth about what we really are. About what really happened back in the bad old days that made everything the way it is now. Long before you came to this one horse town. Don't worry sweet thing, it gets better." said Rolo before shooting Corrine a playful wink.


	12. Chapter 10

Corrine cuddled up close to Rolo and looked into his eyes. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity and excitement. She knew this was going to be interesting! And she may learn about Rolo's past! Something that Rolo didn't ever discuss with her. She realized that Rolo was rather secretive with her. He never really said anything about the gang or even himself until now.

Corrine wiggled around in her seat, waiting for Rolo to start.

"Tell me! Tell me! Tell me!"

~~

Rolo chuckled to himself before replying to Corrines earnest request. That was another thing he loved about Corrine, how genuinely sweet and easily impressed she was. Story time with her was starting to become one of his favourite pass-times. Right after eating hot-dogs and pancakes. With the weight of the world lifted from his shoulders for just a brief while, he regaled Corrine with the humble origins of the baddest gang in town. It was a story he had never told before. Sure, the events were common knowledge to anyone who had attended Salt Bay High in the past. But never once had Rolo, nor any of the crew for that matter, ever gave an inside account of what transpired during such a turbulent time in the school's history. Corrine had no idea how much of an honour was being bestowed upon her at the time. Only someone who had joined the gang as a fellow brother would be made privy to what Rolo was about to tell her. As far as Rolo was concerned though, Corrine was a Salt Bay Turbo. He dared not say it though. Not until everything was made official first.

"Do you know the kids that were picked on all the time? The ones that the rich snobs preyed on that nobody gave a damn about? They got together to form the first youth gang in Sea Salt Bay. They were truly the baddest of the bad. True rebels in every sense of the word. Us Salt Bay Turbos ain't nothin compared to those guys. And those guys were...." Rolo paused dramatically before continuing.

"The Rebel Sharks!" Rolo announced with as much gravitas as he could muster.

"I don't think you would've heard of em baby girl. Ain't nobody talks about em anymore. The rich snobs or "The Royals", as they like to call themselves, they would love it if everyone forgot about em. But us Salt Bay Turbos, we keep their memory alive! At least, we used to." said Rolo with reverence.

~~

"Rebel... sharks?" She began to imagine a gang similar to The Dragons, Antonio's old gang. She shuddered. The dragons were such a scary gang. Hopefully, these guys weren't, Corrine thought.

"What did they do? Were they big and scary?!" Corrine gripped onto Rolo's arm.

 

~15~

"They were only as scary as they had to be Corrine baby. And believe me, they had to be really freakin scary back then." answered Rolo.

"No little lady, they weren't bad guys. In fact, they were the opposite. They were the heroes. They were everyone's heroes actually. Their struggle against the cruel elitist snobs of this town inspired so many people. Baby you have no idea. The shit they got up to. I can spend all day tellin’ you about how they stuck it to the man. They even had the royals shakin in their boots at times. The chaos they spread in the school, man." said Rolo enthusiastically.

"You wanna know the coolest thing about em Corrine? Anyone could join their gang. Just as long as you hated those snobby Royals that is. They united people of all different types. That shit is huge around here." Rolo explained reverently.

"They stuck it to the Royal whenever they could, any any way they could think of. It was like a prank explosion, but with the Royals as the only victims. Pretty soon, ain't nobody was afraid of em anymore. People were free to be whoever they liked and hang with whoever they wanted. It was more than that Corrine, everyone became friends. It was truly the funnest and coolest time to be at this school. I just wish I was old enough to be around when it all went down. Sadly though, the Royals ruined it all, as usual." said Rolo.

He hugged Corrine even closer now. He loved this story. Waxing nostalgic always put him in a good mood.

~~

Corrine sprang up out of Rolo's arms. "I wanna be a rebel shark too! I wanna beat that nasty Charles!" Corrine gasped and squished her cheeks.

"We should bring them back! Under a different name! This could be a way to save you! If we get a group of people to make Charles scared, he'll have to let you guys go! But we need a tough name... oh! And maybe something to identify them too!" Corrines head was buzzing with ideas. She may have just found a way to save her Rolo! And his friends!

 

~~

"Slow down Corrine baby. I haven't gotten to the kicker yet." Rolo said happily.

"Just like what happened with the Salt Bay Turbos, the Old Royals approached them with a deal. One that promised them more than they dared to dream of. And just like us, it proved to be their downfall. Lookin’ back on things now, it was stupid of us to try the same shit as they did. But we were so far up our own asses. We thought we were too smart to let Charles get the best of us like that. I guess that ain't true after all." Rolo said in a more serious tone.

Anyways, the Old Royals wanted to end the feud. To let bygones be bygones. They allowed anyone to attend their fancy parties and hang out on their massive yachts if they wanted to. They even allowed some kids to become Royals themselves if they were cool and good looking enough. They offered the high life to anyone who wanted it. Such a deal was too good to be true. Sadly, it was. Those royals are such sneaky fucks, I'll give em that." explained Rolo.

"The sneaky part came later. When they slowly but surely put restrictions on who could become a fellow Royal and who can hang and stuff. Eventually, this caused a divide in the Rebel Sharks. The two biggest groups that formed within the supergroup were the Slicks and the Salt Bay Turbos." revealed Rolo.

 

~~

"The slicks... they hang out in the junkyard, yeah? So they were part of the sharks too? Why did they split up? Why can't everyone just get along?!" Corrine pleaded. It wasn't fair that only a few were allowed to be one or the other. Everyone was equal right?

"You said there were two main groups right? Who else was there?! Maybe we can get them to help you!" She thought out loud. Oh, how she wanted to save her Rolo. How she wanted him and his friends to get along and finally be free from Charles. 

"There's gotta be something..."

 

~~

Rolo shook his head ruefully. "No can do sweet thing. All those other smaller groups are long gone. It's just the Turbos and the Slicks now. Those damn Slicks. If it wasn't for them..." Rolo ended with a momentary pause. 

"Ya see Corrine, it was the Slicks who wanted the "high life" that the Old Royals offered more than anyone else. They wanted it so bad that they completely disregarded the original purpose of the Rebel Sharks and broke away. Of course this caused a chain reaction that splintered the whole group. But it was us Salt Bay Turbos that remained loyal to the spirit of our rebellion. After the group or "movement" broke apart it was obvious that the old spirit was lost. And so those of us who were still loyal thought it dishonest and downright disrespectful to keep the name of the Rebel Sharks. That's why we call ourselves the Salt Bay Turbos." explained Rolo.

"The Slicks were so far up the Old Royals asses that the only time they ever saw daylight was when a Royal took a dump. Ironically though, that shit didn't work out too well for ‘em. The Old Royals used them as free muscle for hire but that never once made any of em a Royal. The Salt Bay Turbos though, we stayed true to who and what we were. Because of this the people still considered us the heroes that the Rebel Sharks used to be. And so in the end, it was us that the Old Royals favoured more than those slimy Slicks." said Rolo rather smugly.

"But we weren't so heroic either. We took up the Old Royals offer of greater loyalty in exchange for both greater popularity and access to the high life, as well as the end to the class struggle of course. To top it all off, we were going to stick it to those Slicks bastards for being such greedy little pussy ass bitches. It seemed too good to be true. By that time though we were so blinded by our lust for revenge that we forgot that the Slicks used to be fellow Rebel Sharks as well. That they struggled alongside us from the very beginning. Greed and vengeance man, those things will fuck you up." said Rolo gravely.

"We've been at war with the Slicks ever since. Luckily for us, those Slicks bastards were not as strong as us. But still, with everything goin’ on lately, I dunno." said Rolo nervously.

"So the original Salt Bay Turbos were the lapdogs of the Old Royals for a while. So taken in were we by the glamour of the Old Royals that we became the very thing the Rebel Sharks vowed to destroy. The oppressive social hierarchy was back but this time, it was being enforced by us. The kids of this school once more lived in fear. Extreme bullying was once again committed by the Old Royals without consequence. Luckily though it didn't take long for us to join the dots. And so we waited until the Old Royals had complete faith in us and until we were at the height of our own power and influence. At long last we all said "fuck it" and just plumb decided to stop doing their dirty work. Of course it caught those Old Royal assholes off guard but there was not a thing they could do about it. We had them by the balls this time. Despite all the shit we did for them, we still had the respect of the people back from the Rebel Shark days. We threatened to start a new rebellion if they continued to pull their bullshit. Such a thing made them wet themselves of course." explained Rolo.

"So everyone said "fuck it" and the whole thing just fell apart. The Old Royals stopped their extreme bullying campaigns of the "untouchable" kids after they broke apart and us Salt Bay Turbos just chilled the fuck out and did our own thing. At long last, there was peace at Salt Bay High. That was, until this recent bullshit with Charles." said Rolo with obvious frustration in his voice.

"I said I will tell you baby girl so here it is, the truth about us Salt Bay Turbos. The truth is that we do not want to be a gang. That we only stayed a gang because of the Slicks and the lingering evil of the Old Royals. I suppose Chet wanted to destroy the one last person that could bring about the rise of the New Royals in one fell swoop. But it turned out that Charles is the sneakiest motherfucka of all. He turned that desire against us. We've failed the memory of the Rebel Sharks. We fell into a trap so deep that....." said Rolo woefully.

He was suddenly struck with the shame of it all. New tears began to well up in his eyes. He tried not to cry this time, but some tears still ran down his face.

~~

Corrine hugged Rolo again. It broke her heart to see him so stressed. There had to be some way to beat Charles at his own game. Taking control of a group of people and threatening them was beyond infuriating. Corrine could feel her blood boil. If steam could come out of her nose it would. While Rolo was crying, Corrine was steaming.

 

~~

Rolo hugged Corrine back tightly. What he said to Corrine, he meant every word of it. Of how he felt like he could do anything with her by his side. He loved her more than anything and he felt that he could never say it enough. Such a perfect moment was ruined by the ringing of that obnoxious school bell. Rolo released himself from Corrines embrace with a jolt. 

"I guess I will see ya around little lady. And don't worry, we'll figure somthin’ out. Just don't stop believin in me alright?" asked Rolo quite shyly.

 

~~

Rolo, I always believe on you! Just keep trying your best! You can get through this!" Corrine smiled. She kissed Rolo on the cheek before heading off to her next class. She had a slight skip in her step. Her cheeks were rosy and her heart was pounding. She couldn't help but smile all the way until the end of the day.


	13. Chapter 11

Corrine sighed as she remembered what day it was. She was sitting on her bed in her princess style room, next to the person she disliked almost more than Charles himself. It was Klaus. Because he was staying in vacation for a few months, he decided to smother poor Corrine in affection. She hated how clingy Klaus was and how he loved to talk about their future. But she didn't dare tell him about her and Rolo. That would be scandalous. 

The couple sat in Mawi's garden, as the bugs and birds chirped their little hearts out. The garden was full of exotic plants front where Corrines mother was born. Some poisonous if eaten and some rather gross looking. But her mother loved every creature, no matter how gross or disgusting. Everything had a beating heart.

Klaus took a small sip of his tea. "Corrine, my dear, why don't we go on a date soon? Let me take you somewhere nice instead of this stuffy mansion, hm? I'm sure you'd like to have a bit of fun!" he offered.

"A date, hm? Where would you take me?" Corrine cocked her head and asked.

"I don't know this town very well still, but how about I take you dancing? Or maybe go to a nice restaurant? Oh! How about the beach?" he suggested.

"N-no thank you... I-I don't like any of those..." said Corrine, slumping in her iron garden chair.

"You're such a timid girl~! I'm sure you'll have a great time! There must be something you want to do!" Klaus finished his tea and set his cup aside.

Corrine sighed. "I mean, I don't think there's anything we could do. This town doesn't have too much to do besides go to the beach. There has to be something. Father will get mad at me if we aren't spending time together." Corrine pouted. Her mind was too busy thinking about breaking the Turbos free than going on dates. Her eyes began to grow heavy. It was getting late.

"Tired, darling? Let me take you to your room." Klaus graciously offered to carry Corrine to her room. She reluctantly said yes, and had him literally carry her to her room like a princess. She did not mind being carried. She just didn't like the one carrying her.

He placed her gently on her bed and smiled. "Guten Nacht, Leibling." Klaus kissed Corrine on the cheek and before he knew it, she was fast asleep.

He gave her a worried look. "Oh, how am I going to tell you...?"

~~

In the middle of the great foyer of Lancaster Manor stood a row of rather tense looking Salt Bay Turbos. Once again, the tailor measured them all one by one. His tape measure pressed up against Divos inner thigh rather unceremoniously. He had never been to a fitting before. But he couldn't imagine a worse introduction to one. He swore that the old man's wrist brushed against his crotch more than a few times. The whole thing was perverse to Divo, even without the crotch brushing. After taking some notes on his little notepad the tailor then began to measure the inner thigh of his left leg. This time around the tailor brushed a little too forcefully against Divos crotch.

"Hey! What the!" he exclaimed.

"Don't flatter yourself kid. I've been on my feet all day and these old bones ain't gettin any younger." said the tailor.

"Whatever, just take it easy down there." requested Divo.

"Quit your complaining. You're lucky that rich little brat ain't around. He can be one mean son of a bitch." the tailor remarked.

"You got that right old timer. But why work for a piece of shit like that?" inquired Divo.

"Look kid I ain't no saint. The kid pays well and my pension just ain't cuttin it these days." explained the tailor rather defensively.

"I guess I can't fault you too much old timer. It seems that in the end, we all gotta do whatever we can survive." said Divo ruefully.

"You're smarter than you look kid. I'm going to give you the brass buttons." offered the tailor jovially.

"Thanks old timer. I really appreciate it. Where is that rich brat anyway?" asked Divo.

"He's out exercising with your tall fat friend. His uniform is going to be a heck of a lot of work let me tell you." said the tailor.

"Lord knows he needs it." remarked Divo.

The tailor himself let out a loud and breathless sounding laugh. Divo was beginning to like this old man. If only he didn't take an eternity to make a single measurement. Divo surmised though that he did distract the man from his job with pleasant conversation. And so Divo stood as still as a mannequin until the job was done. He couldn't help but worry about Rolo though.

 

"You gotta run faster than that fat boy!" yelled Charles from the driver's seat of one of his luxury sedans.

"Yes......sir." replied Rolo between puffs of breath.

Rolo was made to run the mountain road, from the Lancaster Manor down to the town of Sea Salt Bay and back again. The task was quite an arduous one to say the least. The sun was setting on yet another beautiful spring day. The birds in the overhanging trees chirped and tweeted for their lovers and their territory. Truly it was a chaotic yet melodic sound. The view from the mountain itself would have been glorious. Especially with how the sun set over the bay. Unfortunately for Rolo though, he was not in a position to truly appreciate it. He was far too busy being made to torture himself through exercise whilst being tormented by Charles. 

Whenever he stopped, Charles threw rotten food at him. It was beyond humiliating and it kinda hurt. Charles seemed to have a good arm on him. But none of it affected Rolo though, for he knew he had the love and support of a very lovely young lady. Every time he thought of Corrine, he couldn't help but smile. Even during Charles' incessant taunts the smile never left his face. The rotten food did hurt a little but he was able to tune that out as well. All he had to do was think about how he and Corrine would get their sweet revenge. How very satisfying it will be after all the torment he will have to endure at the hands of Charles. And so Rolo decided to roll with the punched so to speak and wait for an opening. 

"Wipe that smile off of your face you fat tub of shit!" yelled Charles.

"Yes sir." replied Rolo with more levity this time.

 

~~

Klaus sat in his hotel room. It was the most expensive and the highest room there was in the city. A rich kid had to travel and stay in style. The suite was covered in paintings of the beach and lighthouses. Some had descriptions of the artist underneath the frame while others had a piece of history of Sea Salt Bay on the side.

Klaus liked staying in America. Life was much more different and interesting than boring old Germany. Not only that, but his beloved Corrine lived here! More like cousin Corrine. The two were betrothed at birth. There were no other suitors fit for Corrine and her family's status other than her younger cousin, Klaus. Although they were related by blood, they were the only two suitable for marriage.

The two got along rather well when they were younger. Always playing with each others toys, sharing candy, causing mischief and much more. The two were practically best friends. It was a good sign since they were to be married when they were both 18. As the years went on, Klaus grew more and more in love with Corrine while she became more distant towards him.

Of course Corrine still loved her cousin and always will, but she didn't quite love him the way he loved her. It broke Klaus' heart, so he decided to be more lovable, more forceful with Corrine. That just made her grow more distant. The more distant she became, the more forceful he would be. He only now just realized it didn't work.

She didn't know, but Klaus had fallen in love with another. He didn't have the heart to tell her that the engagement was off. She would have been overjoyed to know that they weren't getting married. But she would have to face her father's wrath. He was more than determined to bring the two together. The longer Klaus waited to tell her the angrier her father would be.

He was stuck between a rock and a hard place. But he knew he had to tell her that another man was waiting for him at home. For now, Klaus would have to make it up to Corrine.

~~

And so another day passed with nary a dramatic incident. Once again, the Salt Bay Turbos avoided each other in the halls of Salt Bay High. Switch and Divo greeted each other whenever they passed one another, but that was it. Rolo and Chet still ignored and avoided each other like the plague. Few people noticed such things though none dared question it. The jury was still out on how powerful the Turbos still were within the school itself. The incident in the cafeteria with Rolo was particularly brazen, but it was not a stunt that most of the other students had the audacity to pull just yet. Chet thought it prudent that they stuck together anyway so as to keep up appearances. Sadly though, there was a little too much bad blood between he and his friends for that to work just yet. Rolo once again sat with Corrine, Ralphie, and Spoon. They spoke at length about various pop culture news and trivia, which Rolo himself thoroughly enjoyed. It put his mind at ease. Switch felt uneasy though, for it was his turn to lead a few of the guys to Lancaster Manor that afternoon.


	14. Chapter 12

The junkyard was full that night. Members were banging pots and pans and old scraps of metal to make noise. A fire was burning in the center of the lot. The members’ faces were painted with red and white. The leader of the Slicks stood in front of the fire. The crowd went silent.

”Thank you all for coming. As you all know, my name is Xavier. I shall be hosting tonight’s meeting. Because tonight is no ordinary night for us. For we have a new member! And an important announcement towards the end!” Everyone yelled and cheered. A new member was very rare for the Slicks to gain a new member. Since the town had completely erased them from their memory, the Slicks had almost vanished.

”Antonio, please step forward! Your first step in initiation begins now!” Xavier shouted. Antonio walked to the center of the crowd. He was wearing nothing but his black pants and socks. His shirt was draped around his neck. He gave a small wave, knowing full well what was about to happen.

Two larger members knocked Antonio down on his hands and knees. One kept his arms tied behind his back while the other picked up a hot piece of coal and traced an ‘S’ on Antonio’s back. He screamed in pain. The crowd roared. The was taken away by the two as poor Antonio passed out.

Xavier walked back into the center. 

”This is our time! Our greatest enemies are now weakened! The Turbos are falling apart! If we attack them now, they will be done for! We will finally take back what is ours! Our right! We shall ambush them at their weakest! THIS IS WAR!” the crowd screamed at the top of their lungs. They were ready to take down the Salt Bay Turbos.

Ralphie and Spoon looked at each other. They knew they had to warn Rolo and Corrine about this.

~~

Chet rode through the streets of Sea Salt Bay on that overcast afternoon. The town itself was as alive with activity as ever. Tourists and locals alike ran to and fro between the various stores and restaurants. Lively chatter and laughter accompanied by the music of a few disparate buskers of diverse styles was the soundtrack to the evenings of Sea Salt Bay. Many people thought it a shame that everything closed so early though. But it is a small town after all. No amount of tourist popularity could change that. Some thunder could be heard in the distance. It seemed that there was a storm rolling in. Chet hoped that it would not rain on his way back from Lancaster Manor. Knowing his luck though, it probably would.

The small group of crew members began to ascend the mountain road. It was a road that Chet himself had taken in secret, many times before. The same old birds tweeted their battle cries and love sonnets on the overhanging trees above. All in all, it remained as peaceful and as picturesque as ever. 

Up ahead though, near the fifth hairpin turn, he saw them. Their appearance caught Chet completely by surprise. 

"What the fuck?" Chet whispered to himself.

"Pull over boys. Looks like we got company." ordered Chet.

~~

The slicks were climbing up the mountain chanting about the upcoming war. All of them were in a line, carrying cigarette lighters. Their faces were covered in red and white face paint. Some were carrying metal poles. The Slicks seemed very aggravated.

Xavier was at the head of the line. He climbed on top of Ghost Rock. Xavier screamed out ”Defeat the Turbos!” The rest joined in. The mountain boomed with the words, “Defeat the Turbos!”

~~

The small group of Turbos pulled over to the side of the road. A group of bikes of a familiar make were parked there at the fifth hairpin turn. These bikes in particularly were encountered many times before. Never under friendly circumstances though. Chet recognized those bikes immediately as the ones that belonged to the Slicks. Such a sight proved to be both enraging and slightly unnerving for him. The audacity struck him to say the least. 

"What the hell are the Slicks doin’ here!? This is our turf!" yelled Chet as he dismounted his motorcycle.

"Let's go see what's up." Chet announced to the accompanying Turbo members.

And so they set off down the short woodland trail. Their party was only five in number. Many of the Turbos present wondered whether there were enough of them this time around to confront the Slicks. They felt very little anxiety though, for they were with their best fighter. The woodland trail was unusually quiet at the time. It was like a calm before the storm.

~~

The sound became louder and louder as the Salt Bay Turbos grew closer and closer to the Slicks. All of them were yelling and screaming. They were banging pots and pans, metal poles, and clashing rocks together. They were furious, and hungry for revenge. They wanted to take back what was rightfully theirs.

~~

Chet and his accompanying crew members began to hear what sounded like some people yelling off in the distance. As they drew closer to the end of the short woodland trail, the yelling became louder and unmistakable. The yelling was accompanied by a cacophony of metal clanging noises. 

"What in the actual fuck." said Chet breathlessly.

As they reached the end of the trail to Lovers Haven, they were greeted by quite an intimidating sight. The likes of which made Chet himself jump a little in his boots. 

"This doesn't look good fellas. Stay close and keep your guard up. These guys don't play fair." Chet warned the other Turbos.

~~

One of the slicks was trembling in his shoes. He didn’t sign up for this! These people were crazy! He gave his pole to his boyfriend, kissed him on the cheek and ran as fast as he could away from the mountain. 

As he was running he almost slammed head first into the Turbos. He apologized profusely. 

“Oh my god what are you doing!? Get out of here as soon as you can! These guys are crazy! Oh, I hope Jeremy is ok...” He continued running down the mountain. 

 

~~

"Whoa, ok!" replied Chet to the bewildered Slick.

Judging by all the ruckus that was going on, it seemed that the Slicks were trying really hard to project a tough and intimidating image. The only thing intimidating to Chet about the Slicks was how they outnumbered the Turbos in the clearing of Lovers Haven. Chet could almost laugh at how unintimidating they were. He saw not a single one that he couldn't beat in a fight. Hell, Chet surmised that he could probably take five on at a time without much effort. Nevertheless, he had the rest of his crew to deal with. They weren't brutally raised to be soldiers like Chet was. Individually their toughness only equated to about half of his own. And so Chet stood at the edge of the clearing of Lovers Haven, watching the buffoonery of the Slicks. He contemplated his next move.

~~

After a moment of contemplation Chet had finally come to a conclusion. He wished to be a better leader than he had been as of late. That meant that he didn't want any more harm to come to his boys than necessary. And so he decided to leave the edge of the clearing of Lovers Haven as quickly and as quietly as he and his boys could. Chet motioned with his right hand towards the woodland trail whilst keeping a finger on his lips with his left hand. As dutifully as ever the other members of the Salt Bay Turbos turned in the heels and snuck away from the clearing. They hoped against hope that they would not get noticed. It was then that it happened. A fallen tree branch crunched beneath Chets feet. The crunch itself was quite audible, even amongst all the racket the Slicks were causing. Chet hoped against hope that nobody heard it. He had screwed up more than enough lately. His ego couldn't take bearing the mantle of a screw-up. 

 

~~

The slicks were too busy chanting about the end of the Turbos to notice the crunch. Except for one little slick. He seemed a little too young to be around these kids, but they didn’t seem to mind. He turned around and slipped away from the rest without being noticed. The young one tugged on Chet’s shirt as he was trying to slip away. The boy had blonde hair and his eye was swollen shut. Like he had been beaten up recently. The boy looked no older than 10.

“H-hey, where are you going? Are you gonna play slicks with us?” He asked quietly, his eyes beaming with innocence. The poor child didn’t realize what group he was hanging out with.

 

~~

Chet noticed a tugging on the back of his shirt. He swung around abruptly, ready for a fight. What he found was the most innocent looking kid he had ever seen. The sight of the child shocked Chet deeply. What business did the little guy have with such slimy people, Chet could not surmise. He suddenly felt a pang of empathy for the child with the innocent puppy dog look on his face. Chet bent over and whispered into the childs ear. 

"Hey kid. You gotta get out of here now, real quiet like. Come with us, we know how to play Slicks for real. Not like these losers." whispered Chet as he motioned towards the gathering of Slicks in Lovers Haven.

"So kid, what do ya say? Wanna play with the cool kids? You gotta keep it a secret now so keep quiet, ya dig?" Chet whispered again.

~~

The kid nodded happily and smiled. “Yeah! I wanna play with you! Let’s play!” He said, grabbing Chet’s hand and following him down the path. The child was being taken away from a very bad decision.

~~

Chet smiled happily. It was the first genuine smile he had made in a while. He walked hand in hand with this young child through the increasingly darkening woodland trail. The usual sound of the woodland creatures had mysteriously returned. With all the chirping and scurrying about that is expected of the denizens of the woodlands. It was almost like the mountain itself was relieved that the Salt Bay Turbos snuck away safely. Once the Turbos were far enough away from the clearing of Lovers Haven did Chet finally spoke. 

"So kid, what's your name?" he asked.

~~

“T-Toby... What’s your name? Do you live in the forest?” His blue eyes shot through Chet’s soul. They had an innocent, yet sad and mysterious demeanor. Like he knew something. Something important. 

“Where’s your family? Do they know you’re here?”

~~

Chet was slightly taken aback by all the questions this child laid down before him. At the same time though, he felt genuinely flattered that someone was interested in who he was without knowing about his status in the school nor his recent and rather grandiose mistakes. Chet felt that he rather liked this child a lot. He wanted nothing bad to happen to him, neither now nor ever. Chet released Tobys hand and turned to face him directly. He then knelt down a bit so as to be eye level with this lost youngster. 

"Look kid, I mean Toby. Those guys back there are not good guys. They do nothing but bad things to good people. And they don't do it for fun. They do it because they're mean. They're mean because they are too weak to be nice. Do you understand me kid?" Chet asked the rather mesmerized child. 

"Of course you do, you're a smart kid." he stated.

"Those Slicks are totally lame anyway. I heard that their leader pissed his pants in front of a girl he liked. We'll take you to get some ice cream if you promise not to hang out with those losers ever again." Chet bargained.

~~

Toby nodded and and his face lit up. Who could say no to ice cream!? 

“I want chocolate! With a cherry too!” Toby thought it was a pretty good deal. But he had to leave the slicks. That’s was going to be a bit of a problem. But like the smart kid achey said he was, he could weave his way and find a loop hole in the deal. He agreed and followed Chet down the mountain.

~~

Chet issued forth a peal of laughter. It was the first time in a long time that he'd laughed like that. Chet felt that this kid, this Toby, was like the little brother he never had. His spirit was lifted and for that he was grateful. He cared not for the consequences of not showing up to one of Charles' creepy little fittings. All Chet cared about was making sure that Toby was safe and well taken care of. And that he hoped that he would never fall in with the Slicks again in the future. Unfortunately though, such a decision was out of Chets hands. As much as he cared for Toby, Chet was not his mother. 

"You got it kid!" Chet exclaimed excitedly.

A few moments later the Salt Bay Turbos returned to their parked bikes on the fifth hairpin turn. Chet then mounted his hog and ignited the engine. It roared to life like a caged bull. And intense amount of power and aggression locked inside a metal cage that is the engine. Chet then flipped the kickstand back up into the bike. 

"Get on kid, and hold on tight. I hope you aren't afraid of speed. Because we're gonna go fast." announced Chet.

~~

“That’s ok. I’m used to motorcycles. Let’s get ice cream!” He said, climbing onto Chet’s bike. He gripped tightly onto Chet’s back. Toby clearly knew what riding on a bike was like. “Drive, drive! Vroom!” He kicked his little legs and giggled.


	15. Meine Königin

Mawi ran through the thick bushes and vines that surrounded her town. That english man was driving her nuts! All of that talk of being together forever and living in the same household as one another was crazy talk. She was a princess and had to marry royalty. That was the law of the town. 

The princess ran as fast as she could, dodging tree branches and avoiding wild animals. She didn't realize how fast this man was. He was insane! In mere minutes the German man caught up to her and grabbed her arm. He got down on one knee, smiling wide. 

”Listen to me, Meine Liebste, you have to come stay with me! I know you hate it here, and I hate it in Germany too! Let's move far, far away and start a new life together!” It was true. She hated being a princess and being stuck in her town with nothing to do but wait for a suitor to come and marry her and turn her into a mother of 7 or more. Such was the custom. Mawi sighed and looked into the man’s eyes.

”Do you really, truly, love me with all of your heart? WIll you promise to never leave my side, no matter what?” Mawi asked.

Alder nodded. ”Yes! Yes! A thousand times yes! Come! Lets run away together! I’ll have to ask to find the quickest trip to Germany and to a new country.. oh! And I need a ticket for you too!” He began to ramble on and on about their life together and how they’ll be a perfect couple. Mawi laughed and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Maybe being with this man wouldn’t so bad after all.

 

Alder was sitting in his office of his new home, reading letters, paying bills, and tossing junk mail. Mawi slowly came into his office with a big grin on her face. She snuck up behind him and covered his eyes. 

”Guess who~?” she sang.

”Is it meine Königin?” he asked.

”Mm hm~! I brought you something~” She set a plate of cake in front of him. He laughed.

”Danke~ my dear. You are always so sweet to me.” He took a bite and kissed her cheek. 

”Alder could I ask you a question?” He nodded and let her continue. 

”Good! So... um... Girl or boy?” Alder looked at her confused.

”For what?” He asked.

”For what we’re having! What's your preference?” She smiled.

”I... don't understand...”

”Oh for the love of... Honey! I’m pregnant!”

Alder took a few moments before bursting into tears. He was finally going to have a child! He got up and hugged Mawi. He picked her up and spun her around, kissing her gently on the lips.


	16. Chapter 13

"We kinda ran into some trouble along the way. Nothin’ we couldn't handle but ya know." Chet explained dismissively.

"What!? What do I know!?" pressed Charles.

Chet sighed deeply before replying."It was the Slicks! They were at Lover's Haven doin some shit. We checked it out and it looked pretty lame so we decided to split. But there was this little kid. He shouldn't have been there. We took him home and stuff..." explained Chet. His explanation petered out when Chet noticed that same impatient and exasperated look that Charles wore whenever something began bothering him.

"As much as I appreciate your concern for the innocent youth of this fair town Chet you should've put your sworn duties ahead of whatever fanciful little whimsies you may entertain. Translation: Fuck that little shit, you should've been here on time. Now I'm pissed." said Charles threateningly.

Chet gave yet another deep sigh. As much as he sorely wanted to, he couldn't retaliate against Charles' rudeness and hostility. After all, he had the entire Salt Bay Turbos by the balls at the point. Chet knew that such a confrontation was going to happen though he cared not for he had much greater concerns at the fore. The kid, Toby, reminded Chet so much of himself at that age. Tagging along with the bigger and meaner kids. Getting dragged into things that he had no business dealing with at that stage of his life. Chet couldn't help but aid Toby in any way he could. Their trip to the malt shop was one of the happiest and most uplifting trips he had taken in a while. Doing a good deed while having a genuinely good time with friends was exactly what Chet needed. Whatever penalty Charles could throw down due to his tardiness was worth for that trip to the malt shop with Toby. And so there Chet stood, gritting his teeth whilst barely containing his rage.

"Well, it can't be helped. You came so late in the evening that I had to send the tailor home without any work being done. And you know how much I hate to bother humble tradespeople beyond their capacity. So I guess it can't be helped. I'll just have to take your measurements for you." said Charles a little too jovially.

"Sure, whatever you want. And the other guys? I sent them home. And don't worry, they don't need measurements or nothin. They're all pretty much built like Divo anyway." assured Chet.

"Whatever, you guys have probably never worn a fitted suit before in your lives anyway." dismissed Charles.

And so seemingly out of nowhere Charles took out a tape measurer, a small notepad, and a pencil. He then ordered Chet to adopt a wider than average casual stance whilst holding his arms straight out to his sides. Strangely enough for Chet, Charles began by squatting down and measuring his legs. Much like the old tailor himself, Charles took forever to take those measurements. Charles brushed up against Chets crotch more than a few times. Chet couldn't help but notice that Charles did it a little too slowly and forcefully for it to be an accident. 

"Hey! What the hell you fag!" exclaimed Chet.

"Shut the fuck up! I'm trying to concentrate!" retorted Charles.

Chet was about to respond with "yeah, concentrate on my dick" but then he wisely decided to hold back. He didn't want to annoy Charles anymore than he needed to. And what seemed like an eternity of awkward silence and crotch brushings later, Charles finally finished measuring his legs. He then stood up and began to measure Chet’s torso and arms. 

Charles then suddenly stopped in his tracks. "Your shirt's dirty and it stinks. It disgusts me. Take it off.” he ordered.

"Wha.." Chet began to question.

"You heard me!" snapped Charles.

Even though Chet had never been to a fitting before, no doubt even he knew that it was a strange request. This request in particular though Chet was more than willing to fulfill. He was a little sweaty from all the stuff they did that afternoon and black leather wasn't exactly the most breathable material. Besides all that Chet always jumped at the chance to show off his athletic body to anyone. As much as he hated the horrible morning drills his father put him through, he did take pride in how strong they made him. And so without further delay. Chet removed his shirt. He sported a rather well developed set of pecs as well as a set of four pack abs that were burgeoning on a six pack. Chet had some body hair as well but it was sparse enough to not hide his physique.

Charles froze in his tracks. He couldn't help but stare at Chet in all his glory. A slight smile curled at the edge of Charles' lips. Without another word he began to measure the dimensions of Chet’s upper body. Yet again he took an eternity in taking his measurements and once again his "accidental" brushing wasn't very subtle. At long last, Charles order Chet to drop his arms to his side. 

"About damn time! My shoulders were killing me!" Chet complained.

Charles stood up from the stooped position he adopted while he took Chets measurements. He stood face to face with him, almost nose to nose. They stood there in such close proximity for just a moment, though for Chet that moment stretched into eternity. A look of hunger and greed slowly spread across Charles face. 

"You're a fine specimen Chet. I can really use you." commented Charles.

"What do you mean?" asked Chet rather nervously.

It was then that Charles grabbed the waistline of Chet’s pants with his left hand and pulled him closer. With his right hand Charles then reached around the back of Chet’s head and pulled his face closer to his. Their lips met and soon they were locked. Charles' tongue danced in Chets mouth like a seductive serpent at a very fiery soiree. At first Chet felt alarmed at these turn of events. A instant later though he felt calm, then passionate. Chet’s tongue then began to dance with Charles' well into the night.


	17. Chapter 14

Toby sat at his little toy desk, coloring with his crayons. He was drawing a picture of his family. Toby was on the left, his brother was next to him, his mother next to his brother, and his father... 

His father...

Toby scratched out his dad with the black crayon he was coloring his mother’s hair with. It was a shame he had left his family. He seemed such a nice dad, Toby thought as he colored the sun yellow. He decided to venture out into his mothers room to see her again. He walked by the piles of garbage bags and the overloded dishes in the sink.

Toby slowly opened the door. His mother was sleeping peacefully on the bed. He was dumbfounded how she could sleep with all the beeping her machine made. He climbed ontop of the bed and laid next to her. 

“Mama, today, I met a nice person who took me home and bought me ice cream.” He snuggled closer to her.

“I wish you could wake up an meet him. Maybe he’ll buy you ice cream too. Hey mama, I heard that if you get kissed by someone whos magic, youll wake up. Is that true?” There was silence. “I hope its true. Then you can wake up and play again. Big brither misses you too. He’s taking good care of me!” Toby yawned and wrapped his mothers arm around him.

”I’m going to bed... night, mama. Maybe you’ll wake up this time.”

~~

was almost too bright for Rolos' liking. He trudged along the footpath at a snails pace. His legs burned from the brutality that Charles had put him through all week. Never had Rolo ever been made to do so much exercise before. The closest thing he had ever gotten was those times in which he had beaten up rival gang members whenever they were made noise and acted the fool. Never before had Rolo felt such hatred for a mountain before. It mocked him worse than Charles ever could. The road stretched on for what seemed like an eternity at the time. But it was the sweetness of Corinne that kept him going then. And it was the sweetness of Corinne that kept him going on that footpath next to the bay. For you see, Rolo voluntarily pushed himself to run that fine Saturday morning. The waves barreled and crashed in the clear waters of the bay. The gulls flapped here and there whilst issuing forth their calls. The seals barked off in the distance. A picture perfect day on the bay. But Rolo wasn't there for pleasure, he was there for business. This time, it was personal.

It was after the second time that Charles made Rolo run down then up the mountain road that a startling revelation occurred. Rolo noticed that even though he was made to run the same distance, he felt slightly less tired and sore after the second time. It was like his body was starting to get used to it. That Rolo was getting physically stronger. The change was so slight that he may have imagined it at the time. But it was a challenge nevertheless. To Rolo, a challenge was a fight. Nobody ever had the balls to challenge Rolo to a one on one fight before. No way in hell was he going to back down from nor lose to that pompous little weiner. And so with gusto, Rolo made himself run along the foot path on the side of the road next to the bay. The look of utter anger and frustration on the pompous little wieners face when Rolo refused to break under the strain motivated them both. It motivated Rolo to be stronger and it motivated Charles to be more cruel. And thus a manly cycle of strength, determination, and mutual hatred was born. A cycle that Rolo himself intended to perpetuate alone. For he was going to break Charles' ego before he was going to break his face. The next time they will tangle, Rolo promised himself that he will be a stronger man. He was going to beat Charles at his own game. 

The boardwalk was coming right up. Rolo hoped that none of the guys were there to watch him waddle like a fat chicken down the street. He knew though that it was unlikely for none of his friends ever woke up before eleven in the morning on a weekend. One thing Rolo wished more than anything though was for Corinne to be standing there at the boardwalk, cheering him on.

~~

Corrine had gone to the bookstore with Oliver to pick out something that she wanted. Every few weeks, Corrine would run out of stuff to read in her personal library, and re reading books wasnt her favorite thing to do. She had her eyes on a certain book since her discussion with Rolo.

The moment the two got home, she dashed to her room and locked the door. She jumped onto her bed, landing on her stomach and turned to the first page. “How to Be a Good Detective! For adolescents!” If Corrine was going to save her boyfriend and his friends, she needed to know how! What better way to learn how to look for clues than from a book? 

As she read more and more of the book, she began writing notes in her notebook. Not only could she use this for saving her friends, she could use this for anything! Corrine felt more independent the more she read on. She could do more for herself now. Something she wasnt really allowed to do growing up. Such a small thing made Corrine so happy and powerful.

Once she was done reading, she hugged to book tightly. She kissed it and placed it on her shelf. A few moments later, Charlie had called Corrine down to eat. She happily ran down the grand stairs to the dining hall to tell her brothers what she had learned.

 

~~

"I thought I'd find you here. Where ya been short stuff?" greeted Switch upon his discovery of a very tired and frankly disheveled looking Divo.

Divo sat up from where he lay upon the sand beneath the boardwalk. It was about midday on a very sunny and pleasant Saturday. The sound of the waves crashing upon the shore was punctuated by the shrieking laughter of children playing in the waters. Truly it was a perfect day to be at the beach. Divo himself wasn't exactly dressed for the occasion as he was still in his full riding leathers. A cascade of sand fell away from him as he sat up. He didn't even bother dusting himself off which he was oft inclined to do. Instead he stared at Switch with an obviously frustrated expression. A thin film of sand still covered his shades. 

"Wha do you wan?" slurred Divo irritably.

"Just checkin up on you dude. Things have been real weird and fucked up these last few days. Honestly dude I have no idea what to think anymore. Hey, just how long have you been sleepin down here anyway?" asked Switch out of curiosity.

"I dunno, last night or some shit. Why the fuck do you care anyway? What are you my mother? I hope not, she's such a psychotic old whore. No way was I goin home to that shit." rambled Divo.

"Hey, did you get wasted last night dude? asked Switch before squatting down and having a sniff.

"You really reek of the good stuff. Why didn't you invite me to your little party? I wanted to get wasted too! You greedy little teeny weenie..." said Switch playfully.

"Shut the fuck up!" Divo snapped.

"Whoa man, you know I'm just playin! Just chill alright!?" placated Switch.

"I know I know. It's just that I, I'm not in the mood for anythin ya know? I'm just so sick of it all. I don't give a fuck anymore." said Divo bitterly.

A look of concern played across Switchs face. It wasn't like Divo to act this way. It wasn't like him to act so bitter and defeated. In fact it was usually Divos job to cheer everyone else up whenever the Salt Bay Turbos found themselves in a dark place. Whatever was eating Divo up inside Switch could only guess. Sure, Switch and Divo joked around at each others expense all of the time yes but that was mainly because they wished to entertain the other members of the Salt Bay Turbos. In truth though, Switch and Divo considered each other best friends. They cared about each other more than most people realised. And so with all the concern in the world, Switch decided to sit down next to Divo and have a real heart-to-heart chat. 

"Alright buddy, spill the beans. What's been eatin ya?" asked Switch jovially.

"Where do I even begin?" replied Divo in feigned exasperation.

~~

High above the lighthouse, where the big should have gone, Spoon and Ralphie were having a date. It was more so to calm their nerves after what happened at the mountain pass. They had never seen their leader so fired up. It was truly scary. Not only that but he was sobbing once they were done. He was speaking incoherently so no one understood what he was saying. Something about loosing something or someone.

”Hey spoon, what do you think is going to happen to the slicks? People are talking about leaving. What do you think?” Ralphie asked. Spoon thought for a moment and shrugged. Ralphie sighed.

”If it gets too dangerous, I think I wanna leave. Will you join me?” Ralphie asked. Spoon sighed. As much as she loved the danger and the rush of being in the slicks, she knew she couldn’t leave her Ralphie behind. She nodded and Ralphie kissed her on the cheek.

”Thank you. Now here’s a big question. Are we going to tell the boss what we saw and what we know about the Turbos?” Ralphie asked one more time. Spoon knew that they had to report the information, but she didn’t want to lose her new friends. Spoon remained silent.

”Spoon, please answer.” They begged. Spoon hugged her knees.

”Spoon, answer.” Ralphie’s voice became more stern, But shaky. Spoon still didn’t answer.

”Yukina, please! I can’t make this decision on my own! I dont want to lose Corrine or Rolo but we have a job to do! So do we do it at the cost of them, or not at the cost of our reputation? No, our lives!” Tears streamed down Raphie’s face. Spoon was shocked Ralphie used her real name. He never used her real name. No body did. Not even her parents or teachers. Ralphie must have been extremely torn. Spoon gave Ralphie a hug and made her decision.

 

~~

"I just feel like we've been distant lately. It's almost like you're a different person. Someone I don't recognise. I think we're growing apart." explained Kirsten.

"No baby that's not true at all. Things haven't changed between us. I'm still crazy about you and stuff. It's just that well, I've been busy." Chet trailed off weakly.

"Busy with what!? We never get to spend any time together anymore! You never even call me! What's a girl supposed to think!? I know your type. The tough, cool James Dean kinda guy with a new girl every week. Well I am not just a girl Chet! I'm not just a girl!" Kirsten exclaimed almost hysterically.

The other diners began to stare at them with a mixture of curiosity and disdain. Murmurs bubbled all around the young couple and their lovers tiff. Sweet and Sour Diner wasn't very busy when Chet and Kirsten came in earlier that afternoon. Over the course of half an hour though did that change. The diner filled with patrons very quickly and became very busy. Chet was kicking himself for taking Kirsten there. He had no idea just how popular that new diner really was. All he wanted was some quiet time with special girl but instead he got drama and public humiliation. This was not Chets day.

"Can you just keep it down please!? No need to air our dirty laundry okay babe?" whispered Chet loudly.

"I can't believe you! Here I am, on the verge of tears, and all you care about is what other people think of you!? You're not a rebel at all! You're not even cool! You're just a..." Kirstens tirade was suddenly cut short as Chet tried to defuse the situation.

"Baby please don't say what you're about to say." Chet pleaded.

"Goodbye Chet! Goodbye forever!" yelled Kirsten before getting up from the booth and storming out of the diner in tears. Her sobs were cut off as the diner door closed behind her. 

All eyes were on Chet now. Never had he ever felt like a bigger loser than he did in that moment. Well, except for that time he was caught betraying the Salt Bay Turbos. That was a shame that would never leave him for as long as he lived. Chet felt like such a square though. All he could do was sit there and bear all that public scrutiny. Sure, he could chase after Kirsten and attempt to apologise though the sad truth was that she was right. She and Chet had been growing apart. In fact Chet was almost certain that he no longer had feelings for her anymore. Perhaps, he surmised, that he only decided to court Kirsten simply for the thrill of the chase. The night at the clubhouse was so cool and Chet wanted to have as much fun as he could at the time. Perhaps she was just a girl after all. 

"Bill please." Chet said to a passing waiter. 

The waiter gave a squeak of confirmation then scampered off to calculate what was owed. As Chet sat there, awaiting his bill, his mind drifted off to the night before. A smile crossed his face as he fondly remembered that night of passion.

 

Things were all going according to plan. Charles couldn't help but grin with genuine satisfaction. For the first time in a long time he had everything he wanted. As of that moment he was the most powerful person at Salt Bay High. Soon, he'd be the most powerful person in the the town itself. And if that wasn't enough, he was finally able to conquer his rival in every way possible. 

As Charles gazed out at the town Sea Salt Bay upon his usual spot at the marble fence, his mind drifted back to the night before. The warm breeze of that sunny Saturday afternoon teased his impeccably groomed chestnut hair as he reminisced about the red hot steaming passion between himself and his greatest conquest yet. Being with Chet was like taming a wild stallion. Tough and demanding yet majestic and beautiful at the same time. It was all so very intoxicating. Even a mere memory of that night made Charles dizzy with ecstasy. He began to feel himself become aroused to the point where it became visibly noticeable. Nobody else was around though so he felt neither shame nor the social calling to hide it. And so there Charles stood, in more ways than one, at the marble fence overlooking the town of Sea Salt Bay.

Charles was suddenly shocked out of his reverie by an unceremoniously loud noise. It was one his butlers clearing his throat. The sound of which made Charles fidget noticeably. "Excuse me sir. Terribly sorry to bother you this fine afternoon but your honoured guest has arrived." said the butler with dignity and aplomb.

Before Charles could berate the butler for unintentionally humiliating him he was suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. Charles had never been shocked twice in a row before until then. There she stood, with long and straight raven, large dark eyes, ivory skin, and a very flattering hips to bust ratio. She had bright red lipstick yet the rest of her makeup was very subtle. She wore a red beret and a tight horizontally striped black and white shirt with long sleeves. She also wore a tight black skirt, black stockings, and a pair of black shoes with slightly raised heels. Each of the shoes sported a cute little red bow. Truly she was a vision loveliness by any mans estimation. Charles was lost for words. 

"I present to you miss Yoshida Kimiko. Heiress of the Yoshida family fortune." said the butler with subtle grandiosity.

"Please, just call me Kimiko." she said in a surprisingly squeaky voice.

"G-g-greetings miss uhh Kimicho?" Charles said in response. It was the only response he could muster in the moment, as shocked as he was.

Kimiko then began to giggle uncontrollably, almost hysterically. Charles looked down to see that he was still standing at attention. He promptly hid his excitement with both of his hands. Charles began to blush very brightly at that moment. Never had he felt more embarrassed. That particular butler was lucky that he was a very good friend of his father or else Charles would have fired him on the spot for humiliating him so. Charles surmised that they were going to have words later on concerning his conduct. 

"S-sorry." Charles apologised sheepishly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A nice grand finale for season 2! Thank you to those who have been (or had been) reading. As a personal note to myself, season 3 will not be up for awhile. Writing all of this can be very exhausting.


End file.
